Welcome to the Black Hills National Forest.
With 1.2 million acres of public lands in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming,
motorized recreation has become increasingly popular in the Black Hills National Forest.
The Travel Management Plan of 2010 designated a motorized trail system on the Black Hills
National Forest.
It identifies roads, trails and areas open to motorized travel.
It is important to note that any route or area NOT on this system is NOT open for motorized
vehicles.
Cross Country travel is not allowed.
When planning your ride, be sure and have a current Motorized Vehicle Use Map, otherwise
known as the MVUM.
This map serves as the legal document allowing motorized use on roads and trails.
The map displays routes designated for motorized travel, the dates the routes are open and
the width of vehicles allowed.
While riding, you may encounter routes that are not shown on the map.
These routes are temporary, for administrative use, and are not open for public travel.
Motor Vehicle Use Maps are updated yearly.
They are available at any Black Hills National Forest office and many local vendors.
Paper copies of the map are great for planning your ride, however using the digital version
of the map on a mobile device makes it much easier to navigate the trails.
The digital version of these maps is located on the Avenza App.
To access these maps on your mobile device, download the free Avenza app, search for Black
Hills National Forest and select the district maps that you would like to download.
Once the map is downloaded, you don’t need any cell service to navigate.
With the GPS function turned on, your location on the ground is depicted by a blue dot on
the screen.
In the Black Hills National Forest you will find a variety of motorized experiences for
all types of users.
The Black Hills National Forest has over 3,600 miles of roads and approximately 700 miles
of motorized trails.
Roads are identified with 3 digits while trails are identified with 4 digits.
Many roads and trails have seasonal restrictions.
This means that they may not be open at certain times of the year for public use.
These Seasonal restrictions may be extended if conditions are not suitable.
Routes may also need to be temporarily closed due to Forest operations, for public safety
or resource concerns.
Wherever possible, signs or notices will be posted on the ground.
Be sure to check with your local Ranger District Office, or the Black Hills National Forest
website to ensure the routes you plan to ride are open.
Conditions can vary throughout the year as well as across the forest.
At times, roads and trails can be adversely affected by the weather.
Fallen trees can block access and excessive moisture can cause the system to become wet
and muddy.
If you encounter these conditions, please slow down and proceed with caution.
Driving through mud at high speeds or driving around obstacles may be unsafe and cause negative
impacts to the resource.
Mudbogging or riding in a manner that creates resource damage is illegal.
Repairing this damage is costly and time consuming and can result in trails being closed permanently.
For tips on riding responsibly, check out TreadLightly.org.
TreadLightly is a national campaign with tips and tricks to help ride responsibly and respectfully.
While riding, you may encounter Forest Service Trail Rangers.
They are there to help educate and inform riders of the trail conditions, rules of use
and to help navigate the system.
They assist in maintaining the trails and help enforce the travel management plan.
The Motor Vehicle Use Map identifies routes available for riding in both South Dakota
and Wyoming.
Each state has a separate permitting system.
When riding on trails in South Dakota, a Black Hills Motorized Trail permit is required.
These permits are available at any Forest Service Office throughout the Black Hills,
online, or from many local vendors.
Permits must be permanently affixed and visible from the front left side of the vehicle.
In Wyoming you will need a Wyoming state Off Road Vehicle permit.
These permits can be obtained online, over the phone, or at many local selling agents.
There is no reciprocity recognizing (motorized) trail permits between South Dakota and Wyoming.
Thousands of motorized users visit the Black Hills National Forest every year.
It is important to remember to minimize your impact to ensure the roads and trails are
here for future generations.
We hope you enjoy riding the roads and trails on the Black Hills National Forest.