Victoria Lake Road

Victoria Lake Road (FR 159) is a dirt and gravel road connecting Sheridan Lake Road to Highway 385 in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Victoria Lake Road can be accessed from Sheridan Lake Road, about three miles west of Rapid City. It may also be accessed from Highway 385 just west of Pactola Lake. Victoria Lake Road is a forestry road and, as such, requires no special permits to access.

Victoria Lake Road is mostly rough-graded dirt, although near the midway point, it does have embedded rock up to about 8-12 inches tall. It should be easily navigated by any 4x4 or SUV with moderate clearance. There is one water crossing near South Victoria Road, which can be up to a foot deep, depending on the recent rainfall.

This trail does offer an overlook of Victoria Dam, built in the 1930s as a stock dam. The dam was destroyed in the 1972 flood and was never fully rebuilt. Victoria Lake is now mostly a pond feeding the sometimes dry Victoria Creek. The branch road 159.1E allows visitors to drop down into the ravine for a closer view of the dam and access to a hiking trail.

Several pull-outs and openings are suitable for vehicle and tent camping, the largest of which is midway near the peak of the road. Few offer locations far from the road, so expect traffic noise. Many use the pull-offs closer to Sheridan Lake Road as shooting ranges, which is allowed in many areas of the Black Hills National Forest. This area has a couple of nearby cattle ranches that use the forest for their cattle, so also beware of animals in the roadway.