Best season
Spring – Fall (varies by elevation)
South Dakota
The best motorcycle roads and rider-grade stops in South Dakota, mapped corner by corner.
3
Routes
2
Rider stops
110
Scenic miles
9
Verified waypoints
// Featured in South Dakota
RouteSouth Dakota
5.7/10
Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway (SD-240)
South Dakota
SD-240 twists for 39 miles through Badlands National Park between Cactus Flat and Wall, curving through a wall of eroded pinnacles and buttes with 16 scenic overlooks. There is no fuel inside the park, and summer heat on the exposed prairie can be intense.
35
miles
RouteSouth Dakota
8.0/10
Iron Mountain Road (US-16A)
South Dakota
US-16A between Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore packs 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, three wooden pigtail bridges, and three single-lane tunnels engineered to frame Mount Rushmore in the windshield. Ride it south-to-north for the tunnel framing, and expect heavy tourist traffic in summer.
31
miles
RouteSouth Dakota
6.2/10
Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway (US-14A)
South Dakota
US-14A winds through a 1,000-foot limestone canyon between Spearfish and Cheyenne Crossing, passing three waterfalls along Spearfish Creek; the area appeared in Dances with Wolves. The mapped route follows all of US-14A, which continues past the canyon through Lead and Deadwood back to I-90.
44
miles
//Every road & stop
| Road | Length | |
|---|---|---|
Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway (SD-240) SD-240 twists for 39 miles through Badlands National Park between Cactus Flat and Wall, curving through a wall of eroded pinnacles and buttes with 16 scenic overlooks. There is no fuel inside the park, and summer heat on the exposed prairie can be intense. | 35 mi | |
Iron Mountain Road (US-16A) US-16A between Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore packs 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, three wooden pigtail bridges, and three single-lane tunnels engineered to frame Mount Rushmore in the windshield. Ride it south-to-north for the tunnel framing, and expect heavy tourist traffic in summer. | 31 mi | |
Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway (US-14A) US-14A winds through a 1,000-foot limestone canyon between Spearfish and Cheyenne Crossing, passing three waterfalls along Spearfish Creek; the area appeared in Dances with Wolves. The mapped route follows all of US-14A, which continues past the canyon through Lead and Deadwood back to I-90. | 44 mi | |
Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of FameStop The hall of fame of American motorcycling, on Main Street in the rally capital of the world. | — | |
Wall DrugStop The legendary roadside complex — 5¢ coffee, free ice water, and an 80-foot brontosaurus — drawing two million visitors a year to a town of fewer than 900. | — |
//Rallies & events
Rally · Every August, ~10 days
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Sturgis, SD, US
The largest US motorcycle rally — ten days in the Black Hills with rides, concerts, and racing, running since 1938. The 86th edition runs in August 2026.
NextAug 7–16, 2026
Scale537,459 vehicles counted by SD DOT in 2025 (sturgis-sd.gov)
Surface
Paved two-lane
Verified by
Riders, not car-brain data
In the app
Offline maps + scenic routing
The best motorcycle roads and rider-grade stops in South Dakota, mapped corner by corner.
Why ride South Dakota?
Switchback scores every road in South Dakota by corner density and elevation, not by how fast it gets you somewhere. The result is a shortlist worth the detour — Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway (SD-240), Iron Mountain Road (US-16A), Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway (US-14A) among them — each mapped mile by mile with the fuel stops, overlooks, and bailouts that actually matter on two wheels.
Plan before you ride
Mountain and high-desert routes in South Dakota can be seasonal — verify pass and weather conditions before you commit, top off fuel before long service gaps, and check the mile-by-mile breakdown on each road's page for the named corners, stops, and turnarounds. Pro riders get offline maps for the stretches where cell coverage drops out.
// Frequently asked
Every route is scored by corner density and elevation change, then verified by riders — not pulled from a generic car database. Stops are checked for bike parking, sightlines to your machine, and fuel before the dead zones.
Yes. Your profile, the Trophy Case, core badges, and the full atlas are free forever. Pro ($49.99/yr) unlocks scenic curvy-road routing, offline maps, group ride tools, and AI route narration.
No — browse the atlas and every mile-by-mile guide free on the web. The app adds turn-by-turn scenic navigation, offline maps, group coordination, and your live Trophy Case on the bars.
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