GRASSLAND GRAVEL
Saturday, July 12, 2025
NEW in 2025!
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Rides start and finish in historic Fort Pierre
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Every route has a prairie crossing
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Longer routes
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First event in the new Grasslands Triple Crown point series, presented by the Northern Great Plains Joint Venture and the SD Grasslands Initiative.
We're teaming up with our friends at the Thunderhawk Wide Open and Wheelin' to Wall gravel events for a new competition. Find all the details at the Grassland Triple Crown website!
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The Grassland Gravel race/ride showcases the 116,000 acres of rolling mixed-grass prairie of the Fort Pierre National Grassland.
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Three route distances feature wide sky spaces and sparse traffic of gravel roads and pasture doubletrack across three counties.
The event is operated under special use permit with the Fort Pierre National Grassland.
Event information
Join us for a party on the prairie with the Grassland Gravel race/ride!
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There are 3 route distances. Choose your adventure of 31, 53 or 71 miles, whether at race pace or party pace. The surfaces on each route include packed and loose gravel, double track across the prairie, and bare dirt road. More information on the routes is shown below.
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We’re cool with whatever you’d like to ride - drop bar, flat bar, e-bike, etc. - as long as it’s set up appropriately for a gravel adventure. E-bikes are welcome but are not eligible for race prizes. And remember, helmets are a must for safety on this wild ride!
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Registration includes stocked aid stations, post-ride meal, event swag, and prizes for the top 3 in each category.​​ There are no refunds and entries are non-transferable. You can choose to protect your registration by purchasing registration insurance through BikeReg when registering for the event.​​
Projected routes for 2025
Note: these are projected routes. Final routes will be determined by course conditions as the event approaches.
31 MILE ROUTE
The 31-mile route is a good introduction to riding gravel on the National Grassland. The rolling county gravel roads are single lane, can be loose in spots, and cross cattle grates. The 4.3 miles on FSR 202 will give you a feel for how remote you can get in the ocean of prairie just a short distance from the state's oldest town.
53 MILE ROUTE
The 53-mile route includes the 4.3 miles of double track of FSR 202 and extends your gravel journey through 3 counties. There's more climbing to do on this route, with more than 2,100 feet of up.
71 MILE ROUTE
Double the double track fun! FSRs 202 and 217 can be rugged adventures, each more than 4 miles long. Keep an eye out for the ride mascot - the greater prairie chicken - as you pedal across the prairie. This one's not for the feint of conditioning. There's 3,200 feet of climbing on the sometimes steep rollers.
