Livingston to Sturgis
Little Big Horn Battlefield & the Crow Indian Reservation
Day 31 — from Montana into Wyoming and South Dakota, through some of the most historically significant and visually spectacular terrain in the West.
Happy Birthday, Uncle Bud! Ray had spent the previous night in Livingston, Montana with his Uncle Bud, Aunt June, and Cousin Jay. Day 31 was Uncle Bud's birthday — and Ray was back on the road.
The Little Big Horn Battlefield was the first major stop — the site of the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25-26, 1876, where Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and 268 soldiers of the 7th Cavalry were killed by a combined force of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.
The drive through the Crow Indian Reservation was spectacular — rolling grasslands, dramatic buttes, and the kind of wide-open scenery that makes the northern Great Plains one of the most beautiful landscapes in America.
Sturgis, South Dakota — home of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the largest motorcycle rally in the world. The Z06 was in Harley-Davidson territory.
Photos from the Day
The Day's Route
Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument
The site of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, June 25-26, 1876 — where Custer's 7th Cavalry was defeated by Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors. The Last Stand Hill, where Custer and his men made their final stand, is marked by a white marble monument.
Crow Indian Reservation
The Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana — home of the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation. The reservation covers 2.3 million acres of spectacular grasslands, river valleys, and badlands.
Sturgis, SD
Sturgis — home of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, held every August since 1938. The rally draws up to 700,000 motorcyclists to this small South Dakota city. In late May, it was quiet — but the Harley-Davidson spirit was everywhere.