A Week of Sturgis Motorcycle Ride Maps: Day 5

Every time I think of Sturgis, a new memory pops up. Each experience I have had there was so vivid. Around every corner in Sturgis is a view to file for future reference. In several years of riding around the U.S. this area is one of the top ones I know I will return to again and again. I cannot emphasize enough how this is a place to see at least once in your life – twice or more if you are an avid rider!

RIDING THE STURGIS AREA IN ONE WEEK

This is our next to last Sturgis motorcycle ride. Out of all of our rides, we have not repeated a single road. On this trip, we do re-ride a part of highway 24, but it is right through the heart of northeast Wyoming and if you are in Sturgis, South Dakota, it's a great reason to get over to Wyoming again. Don't miss the other four rides we've completed – we have already covered the Devil’s Tower, Nemo, Needles Highway, Custer State Park and more. Also keep an eye out for our final ride together next month when we get a good ride in the Badlands.

STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RIDE MAP

Bear Butte and Alzada Road ride

Approximately 3 hours, 184 miles, One Way

In my initial road trip, I started in Sturgis and headed towards Bear Butte and ended the trip in northeast Wyoming. But, based on the stops, I believe I prefer going the opposite direction. The new map directions have you leaving Sturgis and starting at the Northeast Wyoming Welcome Center. I thought it was better to get your bearings. This puts you in Alzada for lunch and drinks and a good late afternoon stop at the world-famous biker bar, Full Throttle Saloon, for an evening of play and a view of Bear Butte mountain.

STURGIS

In all our rides I have not touched on Sturgis. It has only been our starting point for all the rides because this is the heart of the annual rally. This is a good time to take a moment and highlight some of the cool things around Sturgis before we head out on this ride because next time we will be talking about the Badlands. Although Sturgis grew as the center of the rally, I am still partial to the town of Deadwood. In a complicated change of scenery and passing of time, Deadwood has managed to hold on to some interesting historical pieces and bring them into the 20th century.

But Sturgis is the center of the reason we all rally around South Dakota once a year. You will find this town filled with bars and restaurants ready to cater to a biker crowd. And it is a central starting point for a lot of the popular rides. If you are a Harley Davidson fan, Sturgis is central to a lot of the dealerships in the area. There is a great number of RV parks and camping areas close to downtown, so it makes it easy access to events. Not too far outside of Sturgis is the famous Sturgis Buffalo Chip and their Big Engine Bar. If you are into the party scene – be prepared to wear yourself out.

In Sturgis, there is a different bar for every night and a new ride for every day.

WYOMING WELCOME CENTER – ALADDIN – HULETT

Departing Sturgis your first stop can be at the Wyoming Welcome Center if you would like to expand your riding outside northeast Wyoming and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Or you can slip on by the center because this is still the point where you want to start your ride. Head up through Aladdin for your first leg of the Alzada Road Ride. Now there is not much sightseeing in Aladdin, the first town you pass through. The population sign boasts fifteen inhabitants and back in 2017 they sold most of the town for $500,000. But those two interesting features can make you poke around a bit.

When you reach Hulett, it might be time to stop in for another visit at the Ponderosa for that Bison burger I mentioned in our first road trip. Hulett is a small town but the center of town is a long row of shops, restaurants and bars with a couple of gas stations so it is not a bad quick little pit stop. Get back on highway 112 and head towards US-212.

STONEVILLE SALOON

When you reach the end of Highway 112, you will take a left on US-212 and wind up at Stoneville Saloon. This is only a little detour as you will loop back onto US-212 and go back the way you came. But for now, check out Stoneville Saloon. This is a dive bar, and they are proud of it. Taking it to the next level, their road sign brags about cheap drinks and lousy food. Sounds like this might be a good place for lunch so go ahead and stop. Their Google reviews still give them 4.3 stars. As a dive bar, their menu serves up the items you would expect – hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken wings. But surprisingly they have breakfast all day. There is a gas station in town too, so it becomes an all-in-one stop like Hulett. Heading back on US-212 eastward through a couple of turns and you will arrive on Highway 79.

FULL THROTTLE SALOON

Even if you are not into saloons or bars, this is a must stop. It is the world’s largest biker bar. If you go earlier in the day, it is not as crowded, and you have better options for wandering around and getting some great photos. You can see Bear Butte from the outdoor patio and there are some great pictures to get there too. The iron sculptures of people on bikes outside the front of the bar beautifully capture the hardness of riding but the greatness of the wind passing through you and your bike as you ride.

Inside I think it might be a motorcycle repair person’s dream. There are motorcycle and auto parts, gears, tires, and full-on cars and cycle bodies displayed, organized, and welded all over the inside and outside of the bar. This is why I reversed my ride map and ended here. The personality of the world’s largest biker bar may turn into a party scene in the evening, but it still embodies everyday life of a biker with its design and energy.

BEAR BUTTE

You can see Bear Butte from Full Throttle Saloon. Sit right at the bar and enjoy the view as the sun sets. Or you can leave the saloon, get back on highway 79 going south and head straight for the mountain as it grows larger. The mountain is considered sacred by indigenous locals and they leave offerings at the top of the mountain. Be sure to respect any worshipers as you make your way around the park. When we rode through we had limited access, but there is a campsite on the west side of the highway and on the summit side there is a small herd of buffalo that roams the base of the mountain.

The view is so odd as you approach the mountain because everywhere else you look there are only flat lands. The summit is all you can look at as you approach it and glance back at it in your rearview mirror. It has been a great ride.