Looking for suggestions on trails to ride

[drz-wi]

Hi Guys, my brother and I are heading to the hills the last week of July.  We'll be staying with my folks just off of Sheridan Lake Rd.  We've spent a lot of time in past years riding the Deerfield Lake area.  I was looking at your site for ride suggestions and I found the rides below.  Could anyone help me out to locate some of these rides?  I think it would be really cool if there was a list of rides, with a location and your trail rating next to it.
 
Victoria Lake Rd (close to my folks)
429 (don't know where it is)
China Gulch (don't know where it is)(near Hill City)
242 (don't know where it is)
530.1a (don't know where it is)
Grand Canyon (don't know where it is)
Slate Creek Dam (don't know where it is)
Lost Horse Rd (don't know where it is)(near Hill City)
Pilot Knob Trail (don't know where it is)
White tail Peak (don't know where it is)
Bull Dog Gulch (don't know where it is)
Lame Johnny Rd (don't know where it is)
Camp 5 Trail (don't know where it is) I'm afraid of this trail after hearing of Yeti's story

Thanks for any insight you guys may have.

Mark

[fringefan]

Should not be a problem and I would suggest grabbing a map form the forest service which will have all trails marked on it or you can PM me your address and I can send you one. There are soo many trails it just depends on your comfort level. Camp 5 is not that tuff but if your not used to riding rocky terrain it might put you outside your comfort level. Camp 5 is just passed Galena and you can pretty much count on any given trail in that area will be rocky or will become rocky the more side trails you get on. Pilot Knob is trail 89 on the map which is the centenial trail and only a small portion of trail 89 is open to motorized travel. It is a very fun trail but again it is also very rocky.

[The Yeti]

You can find maps to Camp 5, The 429, Slate Creek Dam, Pilot Knob and more here:

http://dev.dakotadualsportriders.com/smf/index.php?topic=442.msg3589#msg3589

Victoria Lake Road is one of my favorites. Easy two track with lots of off-shoots to explore. Most end in dead-ends, though.

China Gulch only leads to good trails, it's only a gravel road itself.

I'm not familiar with 242, but may have ridden it and just don't know. 

530.1a is on the Slate Creek Dam map linked above, just south of the dam itself. (On the map it just says "Slate Creek" where the dam is.)

Grand Canyon of the Black Hills is in the far northeast corner of the SD Black Hills. Another nice easy ride with great scenery.

Lost Horse Road - you got me on that one. There is Horse Creek Road up by Sheridan Lake that has a lot of great trails that shoot off of it though.

The rest I am not familiar with.

Camp 5 Trail (don't know where it is) I'm afraid of this trail after hearing of Yeti's story

Don't let my stupid moves deter you from this great trail! I was just too cocky...I've been through Camp 5 many many times without getting hurt. Just have to know where to take it slow.   

If you're going to be here on a weekend, I'd be more than willing to play tour guide. Or, we can get together some evening during the week and at least go over the maps together!

[Bogus Jim]

I know some of these. 242 is another Deerfield trail... it starts west of Michelson trail by Slate Creek Dam and 530. Easy trail if I remember. White Tail peak is also near Deerfield, straight north of Flag Mountain lookout and south of 190. Bull Dog Gulch is at the north end of 139... 139 is the trail from Veteran Peak by Vanocker Canyon down to the National cemetery near Sturgis I-90. Lame Johnny Rd. is I think near the Custer buffalo roundup, just gravel, unless there's another Lame Johnny road somewhere.

The Nat Geo paper topo maps are nice for exploring the Black Hills. You can get them online or at the Forest Service office on Highway 16. But they don't show the private land or closed trails so you should still get the Forest Service map. Nat Geo also has Black Hills topo software maps for $39 but the trails are 20 years out of date and it totally blows compared to the paper maps so don't get it.

[drz-wi]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.  I really look forward to riding out there again.

Mark