Vancocker Trailhead

The Vanocker Trailhead is the primary Forest Service access point for the Sturgis Trail System, located approximately three miles south of Sturgis on Vanocker Canyon Road in Black Hills National Forest. It sits at the heart of one of the most scenic stretches of the northern Black Hills, where pine-covered ridges drop into the winding canyon below. The Sturgis Trail System forms a multiple-loop trail network through Vanocker Canyon, Deadman Mountain, and Veterans Peak, linking into trails on City of Sturgis property around the Sturgis Reservoirs and connecting to the Centennial Trail. The full system spans 23 miles of non-motorized singletrack open to hikers, runners, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. The Deadman Pass Trailhead, also along Vanocker Canyon Road 2.6 miles south of Bella Joli Winery, serves as an alternate access point and the most direct route to the historic Sturgis Dams — stocked with rainbow trout and open for fishing and primitive camping. Parking is available at the trailhead. No restrooms on site.