Main Street
Thousands of parked motorcycles in a row.
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Half a million bikers roar into a tiny Black Hills town every August, for the world's largest motorcycle rally.
Founded in 1938, the rally has concerts, races and rides through the Black Hills. Main Street is one long line of bikes.
Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park and Deadwood are all close by.
- Best Time
- August
- Time Needed
- 2–3 days
- Cost Level
- $$$$
- Open
- Early August
- Getting There
- About 30 minutes from Rapid City, South Dakota.
What to See
2 of 3 are freeBlack Hills rides
Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road are the classics.
Buffalo Chip concerts
Big-name music at a campground party.
Know Before You Go
- It's held for 10 days in early August.
- Book a room long in advance.
- Expect loud bikes and adult-oriented crowds.
Where to Stay
Stay in Rapid City, Spearfish or Deadwood.
Where to Eat
Our picks are on the way.
Editor's picks. Nobody paid to be on this list.
Something wrong or out of date?
Traveler Reviews
Sign in and mark Sturgis Motorcycle Rally as visited to write a review.
Go Next
Must-SeeMount Rushmore
South Dakota
Four presidents carved into a granite mountain in South Dakota's Black Hills, with Badlands National Park nearby.
Full Guide
Worth a DetourDevils Tower
Wyoming
America's first national monument, a fluted rock tower sacred to the Lakota and other Plains tribes, ringed by an easy trail where prayer cloths hang in the pines.
Full Guide
If You're NearbyBear Butte
South Dakota
A lone mountain on the edge of the Black Hills, sacred to the Lakota and Cheyenne, where the summit trail passes prayer cloths left by those who come to fast and pray.
Full Guide
Last checked 2026-11-01. Part of the Midwest list.