One Of The Highlights
Trail 8089, also known as the Centennial Trail, was definitely a highlight of our two days of riding as it has lots of character, i.e., ups and downs, difficult stretches, rocks and, of course, offered some great views of this section of the Black Hills. On the Nemo side of Trail 8089 it is particularly scenic and there is a great bridge crossing over Boxelder Creek. At one point on the trail, there is a sign posted by the Forest Service that says, “Rocky, narrow, steep trail ahead. Assess your skill level before proceeding.” That was fun stretch to navigate.
We arrived in the small town of Nemo, ate lunch and then headed to the Nemo overlook, where someone has posted a U.S. flag. Trail 8276 up to the overlook was an interesting trail as there was logging going on in the area and the trail was beat up some. As far as we’re concerned, that only added to the adventure.
The overlook, which is about 5,300 feet, was awesome and afforded great views to the north and northwest. You could see for miles from up there.
From the overlook we took Trail 8276 to 144 to 8283 to 8284 as we made our way to Horsethief Cave. Anyone who knows much about the Black Hills knows there are numerous caves spread out over the hills. Horsethief Cave is caved in but there are some small areas still that can be explored but extreme caution should be used before you head off into some parts of the cave.
The cave is very near the eastern edge of the Black Hills, maybe 4-5 miles from Interstate 90, although you would never know you were that close to a major interstate.
We retraced our tracks on 8284 to 8283 to 144 and then to Nemo Road, which is paved. Again, our schedule meant we had to make time when we could, so we took Nemo Road back to Highway 385 and then to Black Hills Off-Road Rentals. Had time permitted, we could have taken dirt roads and trails back but we couldn’t. Fortunately, Nemo Road is very scenic.
On day two we dialed up a little more than 60 miles, giving us 110 for the two days. That was awesome but we know there was way more to see. We did spend some of our time doing other touristy things in the Black Hills, like seeing Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park, as well as some sites in Lead and Deadwood, but will have to make a return trip soon to take in more the Hills have to offer.
Itinerary
Black Hills
Elevation 4,500-7,000 feet
Trails 650 miles
Full-Service Town Lead, Deadwood, Spearfish (northern end of Black Hills)
Nearest Airport Rapid City (56 miles)
Getting Started Lead Area Chamber of Commerce 877-428-5590 or www.leadmethere.org
Getting There Our base camp in the Black Hills was Lead, which is located on U.S. Highway 85 and U.S. Alternate Highway 14. From there, it’s a short drive to Black Hills Off-Road Rentals.
Getting Around Black Hills Off-Road Rentals (605-584-4777 or www.blackhillsoffroadrentals.com) offers side-by-side rentals. Curt Bauer and his wife DaNette, who showed us around the Black Hills, owned Black Hills Off-Road Rentals until recently when they sold the business to Chris and Carla Mumm.
Bedding Down We have stayed at the Blackstone Lodge and Suites (605-584-2000 or www.blackstonelodgehotel.com). The hotel was recently renovated and has decent-sized rooms and three outdoor hot tubs. There is a good complimentary breakfast with a good variety of food. There is a lounge in the hotel as well. There are also a handful of other hotels in Lead. The chamber of commerce is a good source of information for lodging.
Eating Out Lead, as well as nearby Deadwood, offers a variety of restaurants in. Again, check the chamber website for more information. We had dinner one evening in Lead and one evening in Deadwood and both were excellent.
