Things To Do on an eBike in Codington County

Where to ride in Codington County

The documented riding in Codington County is the Watertown trail network and its color-coded loops.

Riding in Codington County, South Dakota.

The loops are mostly asphalt with some on-road segments, so expect traffic crossings as well as trail.

1. Watertown Recreation Trail, Orange Loop

The longest of the color-coded loops, a paved multi-use semicircle around Lake Kampeska on the city's northwest side. On the southern side of the lake the off-road trail picks up at Pompeska Drive and South Lake Drive and runs east and north beside the road.

Distance: 13.92 miles on the city map; 10.4 miles on TrailLink; start: Pompeska Drive and South Lake Drive, per TrailLink; surface: Asphalt, per TrailLink.

eBike access: The city map bans motorized bicycles and vehicles on its trails but does not name eBikes, so whether a pedal-assist bike counts is the city's call. Etiquette and planning: The map sets a 15 mph limit, asks riders to go single file when passing and to yield at crossings. Managing source: City of Watertown, Recreational Trail Map.

2. Blue and Red loops

Two shorter loops on the same trail map. The Blue Loop shares a segment with the Orange Loop, and the Red Loop is the shortest of the three.

Distance: 9.92 miles for Blue and 6.09 miles for Red on the city map; start: Trail heads are marked on the city map; surface: Paved and natural-surface routes, per the city.

eBike access: The same map wording applies: no motorized bicycles or vehicles, with an exception only for handicap vehicles. Etiquette and planning: Use the map's mileage chart to plan a ride between parks, and check the city's repair notices. Managing source: City of Watertown, Trails.

Planning a Codington County ride

Call Watertown Parks and Recreation about eBikes, then pick a loop on the city map and start from a trail head.

Half-day and full-day eBike plans

What not to ride

Any eBike on the trails before checking: The city map bans motorized bicycles and does not clarify eBikes.

Horses and speeding: The map prohibits horses on the trails and sets a 15 mph maximum.

When to ride Codington County

Check conditions with the land manager before a Codington ride in the shoulder seasons, since snow and mud can linger on trails.

Shop hubs

The directory lists one town, Watertown. Use the town page to reach a shop and see its address.

• eBike shops in Watertown (3)

Rental and tour operators

Nothing in the county directory is marked as a rental or tour business. Check with the shops from the Codington County eBike shops first if you want to rent.

South Dakota eBike rules snapshot

South Dakota sorts eBikes into three classes in SDCL § 32-20B-9. An electric bicycle is a bicycle or tricycle with a seat or saddle, operable pedals for propulsion, and an electric motor of 750 watts or less. A Class I motor assists only while you pedal and stops assisting at 20 miles an hour. A Class II motor can propel the bike without pedaling and also stops at 20. A Class III motor assists only while you pedal and stops at 28. Since 2020, § 32-20B-10 has required a permanent label showing class, top assisted speed, and motor wattage. Section 32-20B-11 says the motor must disengage when you stop pedaling or apply the brakes, wording that sits awkwardly beside the Class II definition. An electric bicycle is left out of the moped, motorcycle, and off-road vehicle definitions in § 32-20-1.

The path rule is § 32-20B-12. Unless the governmental entity in charge says otherwise, you may ride a Class I or Class II on any bicycle path or multi-use path. A Class III is barred from those paths unless the path is within or next to a roadway or the entity expressly permits it, though a Class III may use a natural-surface trail designated non-motorized if the entity has not restricted it. The George S. Mickelson Trail is stricter. A 2025 law, Chapter 178, amended § 41-17-27 so that only a Class I eBike may use the trail; Class II and Class III are not exempted, and a violation is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Under § 32-20B-13, a Class III operator must be at least 16, though a younger child may ride as a passenger on a Class III built for one. A Class III also needs a working speedometer.

A helmet is required only on a Class III, for operators under 18 and for every passenger of any age (§ 32-20B-14). We found no statewide helmet rule for Class I or II, no eBike driver license, no registration, and no insurance requirement. On the road, a rider going slower than traffic keeps as close as practicable to the right edge (§ 32-20B-5), and a rider on a sidewalk has a pedestrian's duties and must yield and signal before passing. Cities, state parks, and federal land add their own rules. Read our South Dakota eBike laws guide, then check the sign at the trailhead.

South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks manages the Mickelson Trail and Custer State Park trails, and its Mickelson Trail policy page lists electric wheelchairs and Class 1 eBikes as the motorized exceptions. State park pages we read for other areas do not mention eBikes, so ask the park before riding a state park trail.

Federal land follows different rules. The Forest Service manages eBikes as motor vehicles under its travel rules: all three classes are allowed on motorized trails and roads, and a non-motorized trail opens to eBikes only if the local forest designates it. National parks decide for themselves. Look up the specific unit before you load the bike.

SDCL 32-20B-12 lets Class I and II ride multi-use paths unless the governing entity prohibits it, and the Watertown trail map's 'no motorized bicycles or vehicles' wording reads as a prohibition without naming eBikes. We could not find a city ordinance that settles it, so treat the question as open and ask the city.

Frequently asked questions

All shops in Codington County

Want the full shop list? The Codington County eBike shops page has 3 listings in 1 city.