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goes by quickly .
In 1875 , Sundance was established as a trading post and has not changed much in the last 100 years or so . It sits in the valley of the Bear Lodge Mountains , on the western edge of the Black Hills . Interesting fact : the one and only time the " Sundance Kid " served jail time , it was here . It is a good place to stop for gas and a meal at some of its friendly establishments . It is a good idea to fill up at Sundance - it is a long-distance to ride , and there are few service stations . Once you get off the Interstate - there is normally some wildlife around .
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We leave Sundance by way of Highway 14 and follow it to Devil ’ s Tower Junction . This is where Highway 14 meets Highway 24 . Turn north on Highway 24 ( the only way you can turn ). Now you are only six miles from Devil ’ s Tower . There are many places to pull off the road to take pictures of the tower and your bikes . We like to take advantage of the great view !
In 1906 , President Theodore
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Roosevelt proclaimed Devil ’ s Tower as the “ The Devil ’ s Tower National Monument ,” making it the country ’ s first National Monument . It has several hiking trails available to the public . Unfortunately , it is usually August when we visit , so it is way too warm to go hiking , but we do like to visit the Devil ’ s Tower Trading Post . It is at the entrance to Devil ’ s Tower . It is a unique trading post , and it has an old-fashioned ice cream parlor ! Isn ’ t it a rule that CMA ’ ers must eat ice cream ? Well , we always enjoy it ! The Trading Post also offers hamburgers , hot dogs , cool drinks , and a wide variety of souvenirs .
We head out on Highway 24 north and ride 9 miles to Hulett . This route has some nice wide curves , wildlife , and wide-open spaces and is mostly downhill . Hulett is considered “ a quaint western town .” Sometimes we fill up our tanks there . We then head out on Highway 24 northeast towards Belle Fourche . When you get to the South Dakota border , the highway turns into Highway 34 . This takes you right into Belle Fourche .
Belle Fourche is near the geographic center of the 50 US states . It is also considered a “ regional trade center ” for North Dakota , Montana , and Wyoming . We stop here and go to the “ American West Inn ” for great steak tips . These “ steak tips ” have become a “ tradition ” for our family
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! But our first memory of Belle Fourche was attending our first CMA State Rally . What wonderful memories we have ! |
When leaving Belle Fourche , you have two choices to get back to Sturgis . The scenic route would be to take Highway 34 east to Whitewood , where it meets up with Interstate 90 . We really enjoy this route with its hills and curves . But the faster route is to take Highway 85 south to Spearfish and meet up with Interstate 90 there . If you have a “ time crunch ”, you want to go this route .
Any time you have the chance to visit the Sturgis Rally the first full week in August , you will not only be able to serve with other CMA members at the event , but you will be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery . Get your bike ready for some fantastic riding , and head to Sturgis 2021 . CMA
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