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The year long wait has come to an end. I'll officially be back on my way to the black hills tomorrow for the third straight summer. Two friends and I will be making the 21 hour drive from San Diego to Rapid City, and I'm super stoked . We made the mistake of staying for only 2 weeks last year. This year, we will be there until mid August. We will be staying at a place in Black Hawk. Can anyone suggest which route to take after crossing into the SD border? Through Spearfish or through Custer. Which way would be better to get to Black Hawk?
Which way are you coming into SD from? Hwy 85? If you are coming in from Newcastle Wyo. you will want to follow Hwy 85 to Deadwood then hwy 14A to Sturgis then I-90 to black hawk. Spearfish route WILL be like 20 minutes longer. If you take the southern route it is quicker to turn at the Mule Creek Junction rest area going thru Edgemont to Hot Springs 18 to 79 you head around Custer that way and don't have to slow down as much. I am not sure which of these will be quickest to Black Hawk, but both are quicker than the Custer or Spearfish routes.
Yeah come to think of it, wouldn't you be coming through Cheyenne then Lusk then Edgemont? Just follow Highway 18 to Highway 79. That takes you directly into Rapid City and then you can just merge onto I-90 and go to Piedmont.
This map shows the suggested route. You can bypass going through the Black Hills altogether. This is also how we get to and from Denver.
San Diego to Salt Lake City.
SLC to just past Sinclair (on I-80)
Old road to Bosler.
Bosler to Wheatland.
Wheatland to Orin Junction.
Orin Junction to Lusk.
Lusk to Mule Creek Junction.
Mule Creek Junction to Edgemont.
Edgemont to Custer.
Custer to 385 (just past Pactola)
385 to Rapid City.
Shortest and the most scenic. However, the most dangerous if your doing it in one swoop with no stops (other then fuel).
Last edited by ElkHunter; 06-26-2009 at 07:23 AM..
Got here early saturday morning. Went with the Hot Springs route, and got lost. Drove by hundreds of buffalo sitting on the sides of the road in the middle of the night. Ended up having to stop at the hot springs police station to ask for directions at 4am. Other than that, the trip was smooth. Took about a total of 22 hours with some close calls with almost running out of gas in the middle of nowhere.
Got here early saturday morning. Went with the Hot Springs route, and got lost. Drove by hundreds of buffalo sitting on the sides of the road in the middle of the night. Ended up having to stop at the hot springs police station to ask for directions at 4am. Other than that, the trip was smooth. Took about a total of 22 hours with some close calls with almost running out of gas in the middle of nowhere.
That sucks.. but at least you made it to SD safe!
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. We made the mistake of staying for only 2 weeks last year. This year, we will be there until mid August. We will be staying at a place in Black Hawk. Can anyone suggest which route to take after crossing into the SD border? Through Spearfish or through Custer. Which way would be better to get to Black Hawk?
