Bikepacking in the Black Hills

What is Bikepacking?

Article By:

Forest Thompson, College Professor/Local Adventurer and Ross Rosenbaum, Product Manager & Recreational Cyclist

Bikepacking combines the freedom of cycling with the self-sufficiency of backpacking; you carry your camping gear on your bike and head out for a multi-day ride. Unlike traditional bike touring, bikepacking usually favors gravel, dirt roads, and trails over pavement. It lets you cover more ground than hiking while still reaching places other vehicles cannot. The appeal is simple: open roads, camping, physical challenge, and the opportunity to explore new terrain at your own pace.

Bikepacking can be as simple or as ambitious as you want with regards to bike setups, route distances, locations, and pace, but most trips require three basics:

Bike: Most gravel or mountain bikes can be rigged to haul gear. If you have the option, choose a bike best suited for most of the terrain you will be covering (singletrack versus gravel).
Bags: Purpose-built bikepacking bags (frame packs, seat packs, panniers) are ideal, but beginners can also rig dry bags to a bike rack, handlebars, or frame with sturdy straps.
Camping and Cycling Gear: Pack essential camp gear such as a tent, sleeping bag, camp stove, and first aid kit but also carry bike tools, tire-repair kits, and padded bike shorts. Ultra-lightweight gear helps but is not a requirement.

For beginners or casual cyclists, the best gear is often the bike and camping equipment you already own!

Two bikepacking setups. On the left, a gravel bike with handlebar bags, front fork bags, and rear rack-mounted panniers. On the right, a hardtail mountain bike with a dry bag strapped to the handlebars, a top tube bag, a full frame bag, and a rack-mounted dry bag.

Why Try Bikepacking in the Black Hills?

The Black Hills region is ideal for bikepacking because it offers rolling gravel roads, rocky Forest Service roads, singletrack, and paved connectors. The Mickelson Trail provides both an easy entry point for multi-day cycling and helps riders link segments from the Southern Hills to the Northern Hills. For beginners or riders new to the area, the Black Hills BackBone Grande route is a valuable source of inspiration. Riders can find the route online and adapt it to their schedule and comfort level.

When planning a Black Hills bikepacking adventure keep in mind the following:

Be prepared for South Dakota weather (rain, hail, wind) and the timeline delays it can bring. Pack quality clothing layers, such as merino wool, and know where you can find shelter, including the Mickelson Trail shelters or Custer State Park visitor centers.
Do your due diligence when building routes with apps like Strava. As a rough rule, named roads, such as Lame
Johnny Road, are often larger and more rideable on a variety of bikes, while numbered roads, such as CSP-2, may require significant hike-a-bike efforts!
Give wildlife plenty of space, especially in Wind Cave National Park and Custer State Park. If bison are nearby, slow down, stay alert, and think twice before clipping in on steep grades.

Remember that the climbs are the price you must pay for the long, glorious downhills.
Bikepacking is best experienced with friends. On a long ride, everyone hits a low point eventually, but rarely at the same time. A good riding partner knows when to offer encouragement, call for a break, or hand over a Snickers bar. Those shared moments of Type II fun, the kind that feels hard in the moment but rewarding afterward, often become the stories that build meaningful and lasting connections.
You do not need the perfect bike, the lightest gear, or peak physical conditioning to try bikepacking. The Black Hills are full of roads and trails that reward curiosity, patience, and a willingness to see what is around the next bend.

Helpful Resources

REI Expert Advice for a more detailed overview of bikepacking.
BIKEPACKING.com for guides and community resources.
The Black Hills BackBone Grande bikepacking route and associated blog posts blackhillsbackbone.blogspot.com for route inspiration from an experienced bikepacker.