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Longest loop in the Victoria Lake area through pine forest and canyons with striking rock walls.


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Map Key

15.0

Miles

24.1

KM

92%

Runnable

4,826' 1,471 m

High

3,983' 1,214 m

Low

1,867' 569 m

Up

1,861' 567 m

Down

5%

Avg Grade (3°)

20%

Max Grade (11°)

Dogs Unknown

Description

This is the longest loop in the Victoria Lake area of trails. Rxh through pine forest as well as canyons with tranquil streams and striking rock walls. 92% of this trail is dirt singletrack. There is a 1.2-mile climb up a dirt doubletrack jeep trail at the halfway point. The trail is made up of some steeper climbs that are well interspersed with easy singletrack and some downhill sections.

Getting There: From Rapid City, SD travel south on Sheridan Lake Road/Old State Highway 40 (paved road) for 8 miles until you reach Victoria Lake Road (a well-maintained gravel road).

There are no signs identifying the start off the trail and, in general, there are very minimal markers along the trail. Use the Trail Run Project mobile app for wayfinding.

Parking: You can park at the Victoria Lake Road parking areas and run the Victoria Lake Road Parking Area Connector to Loop 15. You can also connect to Loop 15 via the Reder Ranch Connector which starts 1.7 miles further down Sheridan Lake Road/Highway 40.

To get to Loop 15 from Victoria Lake Road take the Victoria Lake Road Parking Area Connector.

From the parking area, travel through the boulders 20 yards on a doubletrack then take the unmarked singletrack that branches left into the trees (this is the start of the connector trail). Follow a short ravine down to a long narrow meadow. At the end of the meadow, the connector trail from the parking lot meets with the Victoria Lake Loop 15 trail.

Turn right to run Loop 15 counter clockwise. You start off running down a canyon on winding dirt singletrack (this can be muddy in the spring) through a mix of pine and deciduous trees. Cross a creek and then cross 1st Thunder Road and start a steep and sometimes rocky 0.5-mile climb (this section overlaps with the Victoria's Secret loop).

If you use the Reder Ranch Connector to access Loop 15 running counter clockwise, you start with a lot of really great down hill. If you start Loop 15 from the Victoria Lake Road Parking Area Connector running counter clockwise you get to finish on all that great downhill which is nice after that long run.

Contacts

Shared By:

Chris Haas

Trail Ratings

  3.5 from 2 votes

#4

in Rapid City

#24746

Overall
  3.5 from 2 votes
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Trail Rankings

#4

in Rapid City

#71

in South Dakota

#24,746

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11 Views Last Month
1,637 Since Aug 16, 2017
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Photos

On your way up, be sure to take the right fork here.
Aug 16, 2017 near Colonia…, SD
Singletrack through the pine trees.
Aug 16, 2017 near Colonia…, SD
Cross the dirt logging road and follow the trail past the "no motorized vehicles" sign into the trees.
Aug 16, 2017 near Colonia…, SD

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Current Trail Conditions

Minor Issues 31 days ago
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