Sturgis is a small ranching town of about 7,000 in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, but every August it becomes one of the most famous gatherings in America. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, running since 1938, draws close to half a million bikers for concerts, races, bike shows, leather shopping, and tattoos. For the other eleven months, Sturgis is a quiet, friendly base for exploring a surprisingly rich corner of the plains.
Just northeast of town, Bear Butte State Park is a lone mountain rising from the prairie, sacred to Northern Plains Native Americans and the spiritual center of the Cheyenne in particular. The hike to the top takes about an hour and rewards you with views across four states. It is also a draw for geology students who come each summer to study the formation. Bear Butte is one of the most underrated stops in the Black Hills.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame covers the full history of motorcycles and the rally itself — worth a visit even if bikes are not your thing. The Fort Meade Cavalry Museum is one of the best small museums in the country, tracing the history of Fort Meade from 1878 to 1944: Native American history, Black Hills settlement, cavalry life, the transition to mechanization, and the fort’s role in both World Wars. Most of the original buildings still stand around the parade grounds where the Black Hills meet the prairies. The nearby Black Hills National Cemetery, known as the “Arlington of the West,” and the Old Fort Meade Cemetery are both worth a stop.
Beyond the museums, Sturgis offers rodeos, sheepdog trials, a balloon rally, the historic Poker Alice House, Wonderland Cave, and scenic drives through Boulder and Vanocker Canyons. The Centennial Trail winds through the length of the Black Hills and passes nearby. Cavalry Days in early June is one of South Dakota’s premier events.
Sturgis sits on I-90, centrally placed between Rapid City, Deadwood, Spearfish, and Belle Fourche.