MotorcycleRoads.US

US Route 85 - Wyoming & South Dakota

AKA:

Cheyenne, WY - Deadwood

Distance/Driving time: 266 miles/4h, 40m

County(ies): Lawrence

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• Rode Highway 85 from I-90 to Newcastle on May 31st of this year and it was awesome! more...
  I went through Lead at about 6:30 or 7:00 p.m. and met possibly 8 to 10 vehicles the entire route. Mule deer abounded and still a bit of white stuff in the shaded areas. I plan to return to ride it again in early August. I took Highway 16 back through Custer and back into Rapid City...again...awesome riding with some cool sights and a few 85 degree corners. Some of the curves action reminded me a bit of driving the road to Hana in Maui. - Anonymous (7/18/11)
• This is a mighty fine cruise if you just want to get out and do a nice Sunday run. more...
  Once you get out of the Cheyenne ranchette sprawl, it rolls pretty good over and down hills into drainages and then back up and over the next set. Mostly tilled farmland until you get past the Albin cut-off, then it starts into some good rangeland with some big hills and views. Several big bluffs to the west and east make for a nice sight as you roll north. Throw in some nice curves and hills as you cross the Bear Creek and Horse Creek drainages. Then it starightens out goes through Hawk Springs. Look for the KISS logo (the band) painted on an old abandoned service station in Hawk Springs. The Long Branch Restaurant and Bar is a quonset hut looking place that has great food and some cold ones in case you're in need of sustinence. Don't let the quonset hut look fool you, the chow is pretty dang good.
  Leaving Hawk Springs the route runs pretty straight to the north. There's a rail crossing at Hawk Springs and another one by the Yoder/Huntley intersection, so watch for those. Once you pass Yoder/Huntley, the road climbs and twists to the east to the top of a fair hill. Nice developed farmland around here where they grow sugar beets, sunflowers and alfalfa; raise cattle, sheep and horses.
  Pretty soon you get to the top of the hill above Torrington and can take in the great view of the town and the North Platte River Valley. This is where the Oregon/California/Mormon Trails and the Pony Express came through on their way west - pretty cool. If the breeze is out of the north, you're going to smell the Western Sugar sugar beet processing plant - an interesting smell to be sure. But you won't notice it that much as you roll the sweepers coming down off the hill.
  In Torrington stop into Ben's Diner. It's rider friendly and located right at the intersection of US 85 & US 26. Good food, great service, and even better prices are what you'll get there. Deacon's is also a dang good place to stop, and it's just two doors down from Ben's. Torrington is a pretty cool town that is rider friendly, but don't go too crazy there. They just opened a new medium security prison NE of town, so they won't have far to haul you if you do something stupid. Give this ride a medium 2 thumbs up. - Rider from Cheyenne, WY (5/26/11)
• Take this road if you want to see some really sweet views of the western Black Hills and follow the old Cheyenne-Deadwood Stage Route. more...
  The whole route has good pavement and twisty turns.
  Start in the uber cool, biker friendly town of Newcastle, Wyoming after you've had breakfast or lunch at Donna's Downtown Diner in the Historic Antler Hotel. Head north and you instantly start climbing up into the Hills. There's little in this world that compares to the wind in your face and the smell of coconut sunscreen and pine forests. The views and twisties will knock you out as you wind your way up and down this beautiful part of the world. The Hills were made for bikes and you'll know it the first mile you ride up here.
  US 85 takes you past Cheyenne Crossing which is a perfect place to stop for a cold one and take in some Black Hills atmosphere. The folks there are always happy to see you, and they make you feel right at home. When you resume your ride, you'll climb up out of the valley to the top and the town of Lead, South Dakota, home of the Homestake Gold Mine - the World's Largest. You gotta stop and check it out. It's pretty impressive. You can take a tour, or just view it from the paking area right next to the pit. Lead is a cool old Victorian era town built on the side of the hill and the streets are steep. Don't stay too long because there are cold ones and gambling to be had just down the hill in Deadwood. No trip to the Hills is complete without riding this stretch of road and visiting these great little towns. - Rider from Cheyenne, WY (6/18/10)
• This road was a pretty good way to get across Wyoming from north to south, but now it just got a whole lot sweeter. more...
  WYDOT just completed installing several passing lanes between Lusk and Mule Creek Junction. No more getting stuck behind slow-poke semi's and lookie-lou RV-ers. Now you can really blaze this road when you're headed to or from the Hills. The views are pretty good being on the west side of the Black Hills and this is really open country just made for letting your bike open up and run. Keep your wits about you though, with the new passing lanes you just know the Wyoming Highway Patrol is going to remain vigilant. But the new passing lanes make this ride a whole lot safer.
  By the time you get to Newcastle you'll be ready for some grub and a cold one. Several good places in that town to satisfy both. Check out the Pizza Barn, The Old Mill, or Donna's Downtown Diner for the grub. And the Ironghorse Saloon is a good place to whet your whistle. If you're looking to catch some shut-eye, go no further than The Pines Motel - great rates and a biker friendly owner make that place a must-do when looking for a place to spend the night. Might as well hole-up in Newcastle for the night and start your riding in the Black Hills all refreshed and ready to go the next morning. Newcastle is a cool little town that welcomes riders and doesn't stick it to you on the prices for things. - Rider from Cheyenne, WY (12/8/09)
• This is one sweet ride across the high plains of Eastern Wyoming. more...
  This road is lightly traveled so you can really open it up and cruise! Big sweeper curves that follow the Rawhide Creek Drainage and top over huge hills giving you a view for miles and miles. This route parallels the old Cheyenne-Deadwood Stage route and is a real pleasure to ride. Not hard imagining what the folks taking the old stage saw back in the day because there isn't anyone out there. The view of the Rawhide Buttes from this road is FANTASTIC! WYDOT keeps this road in excellent shape and you won't be sorry you took it. It's a great way to cover eastern Wyoming going to or from the Black Hills. Be sure to hit Lira's in Lingle for some superb Mexican food and a cold one at small town prices. This is one sweet ride no matter what direction you go. - Rider from Cheyenne, WY (10/21/09)

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