Sturgis Travel Guide

Sturgis is a small town of about 7000 in the beautiful Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, and is home to the world famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  Each August, almost half-a-million bikers descend on this quiet ranching community to take in concerts, races, bike shows, shop for leather, or maybe even get a tattoo! 

Sturgis is also home to Bear Butte State Park, a lone sentinel of a mountain rising from the surrounding prairie about three miles away from the Black Hills proper.   It is sacred to the Northern Plains Native Americans, and is the center of religion for the Cheyenne in particular, with qualities similar to Mt. Sinai in the Judeo-Christian culture, in that they received their sacred laws on this mountain.   It is also a geological mecca, attracting university students each summer who study this interesting formation.   A hike to the top takes about an hour, and an oustanding view of four states, including the Black Hills and high plains can be seen.   A very under-rated attraction, Bear Butte is definitely worth a visit for the views, the hike, and the greater understanding of our first Americans.    

Sturgis is also home to two unique museums of special interest, the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame, and the Fort Meade Cavalry Museum.   The Motorcycle Museum has an extensive display concerning the wide range and history of motorcycles and their related events, along with displays on the history of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which began in 1938.   Even if you’re not into motorcycles, this museum is worth a stop!

The Fort Meade Cavalry Museum is one of the best small museums in the United States.   With artifacts and excellent displays, it covers the history of Ft. Meade from 1878 to 1944, including Native American history, Black Hills settlement and poineers, cavalry life, family living for officers and their wives, the transition to mechanization, the participation in WWI and WWII, and the eventual conversion to a VA hospital which still occupies the Fort today.   Most of the original buildings and some stables are preserved and are still in use surrounding the picturesque parade grounds at the spot where the Black Hills meet the prairies.   Cavalry Days is held in early June each year, and is one of South Dakota’s premier events.   The nearby Black Hills National Cemetery, called the “Arlington of the West”, and the Old Fort Meade Cemetery are both worth visits.

There are several other annual events or things to see including rodeos, sheepdog trials, a thrashing bee, balloon rally, the Poker Alice House, the Annie Tallent Home, several outdoor sculptures, a thriving community theater scene, Wonderland Cave, scenic Boulder and Vanocker Canyons, the fantastic Centennial Trail which winds its way through the length of the Black Hills, or just a good high school sports match on a Friday night.   Sturgis particularly is proud of its wrestling and rodeo history.  

Sturgis is centrally located on I-90 between Rapid City, Deadwood, Spearfish, Newell, and Belle Fourche, and should not be missed when visiting or passing through the Black Hills.