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Motorized Recreation In The Black Hills

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Black Hills Motorized Trail Information

As you use the resources we’ve made available to you, please consider supporting the Off-Road Riders by becoming a member. Your support helps us continue to maintain and improve the Black Hills Trail System.

Off-Road Equipment Recommendations

Throughout 2025, ORA members and leadership swapped stories, compared trail bags, and debated the must-haves (and nice-to-haves) for a day in the Black Hills. Drawing from real-world experience—everything from unexpected breakdowns to backcountry first aid—we compiled and refined a practical list of gear that riders actually use when it counts. The result? A collection of recommendations designed to help you ride prepared, confident, and ready for whatever the trail throws your way. For your consideration, here are the lists:

Highly Recommended

  1. LED Headlamp and flashlight.
  2. Ratchet Tie Down Straps
  3. First Aid Kit with tourniquet.
  4. Buck Knife
  5. 4-Piece Pliers Set – Long Nose, Diagonal Cutting, Groove Joint and Slip Joint Pliers.
  6. Tire Repair Kit plus Glue Tread External Patch Kit – for Tubeless Tires – No Need to Remove Tire – Kit Includes Enough Material to Patch 4 Tires – ATV Sidewall Repair Kit Glue Tread External Patch Kit – for Tubeless Tires
  7. 12-volt Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor.
  8. Drive Belt spare CVT Belt.
  9. Emergency Poncho and Mylar Blanket Liner – Waterproof.
  10. Flushable Wipes. A must.
  11. Goggles.
  12. Gloves winter and summer.
  13. Cooler/water/energy bars.
  14. Fire Extinguisher
  15. OFF! Deep Woods Insect Repellent Aerosol
  16. Duct tape.
  17. Zip Ties.
  18. Window Breaker Seatbelt Cutter with Flashlight,2 in 1 Car Escape Tool Key Chain, Safe Hammer Glass Breaker Under Water,2 Pack Green.

Recommended

  1. NOCO Boost X GBX45 1250A 12V Ultrasafe Portable Lithium Jump Starter, Car Battery Booster Pack, USB-C Power bank Charger, and Jumper Cables.
  2. Lafagiet USB-C Rechargeable Lighter, Dual Electric arc, Waterproof, Flame-Less, Windproof Plasma lighter.
  3. Cobra HHRT50 Road Trip CB Radio – 2-Way Handheld Emergency Radio with Access to Full 40 Channels & NOAA Alerts.
  4. REXBETI Folding Saw, Heavy Duty 11 Inch Extra Long Blade Hand Saw.
  5. Paper towels.
  6. Invisible Glass Cleaner.
  7. Rainsuit.
  8. STREAM 2 SEA Mask Defog.
  9. MiolleGear Tow Strap 2”x20’- 20990 lbs. MBS (Lab Tested) Recovery Strap Kit Includes: Tow Rope, 2 D-Ring Shackles 5/8 MBS- 28640LBS, Storage Case.
  10. Electrical Tape.

Nice to Have

  1. Vortex Optics Vanquish Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars – Compact, Rubber Armor, Waterproof, Fog proof, Shockproof.
  2. Digital Multimeter Tester 2000 Counts with DC AC Voltmeter and Ohm Volt Amp Meter.
  3. Garmin Oregon 700 Handheld GPS Navigation, 1.5.
  4. DEWALT Mechanics Tools Kit and Socket Set, 1/4″ & 3/8″ Drive, SAE, 108-Piece.
  5. Gerber Bear Grylls Fire Starter.
  6. Ultimate Hatchet, Axe for Camping, Survival, and Backpacking, Includes Sheath, Bottle Opener, Hammer, and Hex Wrench, 3cr13 Stainless Steel – Black Oxide.
  7. Pocket Knife Sharpener.
  8. Fix-a-Flat S60420 Aerosol Emergency Flat Tire Repair and Inflator.
  9. Kimpex Portable electric winch if one is not installed on UTV.
  10. Go Time Gear Survival Life
  11. Survival Shovel
  12. Paper and pen.
  13. Sunglasses.
  14. Dust mask Dräger X-plore 3500 Respirator Mask P100 Combination Cartridge.
  15. Heated Seat Covers.
  16. Aquamira G2O Water Filtration Bottle.
  17. WEYLAND Bushcraft Settlers Tool – Scotch Eye Hand Auger Wrench for Survival.
  18. Hose Clamps.
  19. OUTDOOR ELEMENT Fire Escape, Emergency Escape Tool, Seatbelt Cutter, Window Breaker, Multi Tool, Fire Starter, Carabiner, and Much More.
  20. Gasoline Siphon Hose, Gas Oil Water Fuel Transfer Siphon Pump, Portable Widely Use Hand Fuel Pump, Fuel Transfer Pump with PVC Hoses.
  21. Spare Upgraded Fuel Tank with Locking Mounting Bracket for Motorcycle Car SUV ATV, Black.
  22. Stainless Steel Hose Clamps Assortment Kit, 25 Pieces Worm Gear Hose Clamp Adjustable 1/4 to 2-1/4in(6-57mm), Fuel Line Clamp for Plumbing, Automotive and Mechanical Applications.

News & Alerts

5/26/21
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Black Hills National Forest :
Clarifies OHV Width
Measurement.

5/26/21
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Black Hills OHV Action Team :
Created.

Trail Permits and License Plates

Visitors to South Dakota
Out of state visitors will need both a Motorized Trail Permit and a temporary South Dakota License Plate (which can be purchased from Black Hills Area county court houses).
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Local Riders
South Dakota residents will need both a Motorized Trail Permit and a South Dakota License Plate to fully access the motorized system.
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Wyoming

Wyoming trails, including those in the Black Hills, are regulated by the state of Wyoming under a separate program from the South Dakota side of the Hills.
Click the Wyo Parks Trail Program logo for more information.

The links below will help you find...

Trail Permits
Purhase On-Line
Find a Local Vendor

Motorized trail permits are required to ride on motorized trails in the Black Hills. Due to COVID-19, Forest Service offices are not open to sell trail permits. Select either the Buy On-Line link or the Local Vendors link to the left to purchase your permits on-line or chose from the list of local vendors in the Black Hills area.

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Temporary Plates
Pennington County
Meade County
Lawrence County

In order to have the best experience while visiting from outside South Dakota, we recommend getting a temporary license plate for your ATV or UTV. This will allow you to use Forest Service roads and other non-paved roads to move from one trail to another.
You can get a temporary plate from Meade, Lawrence or Pennington Counties. Select one of the county links to the left for information about temporary license plates for your machine. Lawrence County currently has the easiest on-line access to this information.

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Black Hills
National Forest
Trail Information

The Trail Information link will take you to a Black Hills National Forest web page with Motorized Trail System resources and information including pdf versions of the MVUM (Motorized Vehicle Use Map). Paper copies are available at the Black Hills Visitor Information Center.

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Avenza App and
Trail Maps
Trail Map App
Black Hills Motor Vehicle
Use Maps (MVUM)

The Trail Map App link will take you to the Avenza web site with information about how to download the Avenza trail map app.

First download the App. Next (while you have access to wifi) open the app to find and download the FREE maps for Black Hills motorized trails: Click or tap in the search box, type Rapid City, South Dakota, then type “MVUM” in the keywords box].

Once you have downloaded the maps, they can be used with no access to WiFi or cell service.

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Off-Road Riders
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Ride with
Respect
FaceBook Page
Visit our Face Book Page for Events, Rides, Meetings and more.Visit the Ride with Respect Face Book Page to learn about Safety, Trail Courtesy
and Responsible Riding Practices in the Black Hills.