Black Hills Backcountry Road 16A – Hill City Extension

This lesser-known extension of Highway 16A pushes past Hill City into genuine backcountry, following old mining roads that served the Harney Peak district through the 1940s. The maintained pavement gives way to loose granite and technical ledges near Crazy Horse Gulch, where you’ll encounter the kind of rock steps that separate mall crawlers from actual trail rigs.

Rated difficult for the final five miles, this route demands high-clearance 4WD with skid plates and recovery points. The granite can be razor-sharp on sidewalls, and the narrow shelf road sections have zero margin for error. Best tackled April through October when snow isn’t a factor. What you get is access to abandoned mining claims, killer views of Mount Rushmore from the backside, and the satisfaction of running a trail most Black Hills tourists never know exists. Fill up in Hill City — it’s 40 miles to the next gas.