South Dakota Troopers Battle Traffic, Speeders, And One Rattlesnake At Sturgis

Like several other law enforcement agencies, the South Dakota Highway Patrol has its hands full each year during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Any time 400,000 to 500,000 people come to visit for ten days, things can get a bit hectic with speeding, impaired drivers, and accidents.

But the last place highway patrol troopers imagined they'd be dealing with an unwanted intruder was back at their dorms, where they're staying during the rally.

But that's exactly what happened when a rattlesnake decided to head inside for a surprise visit.

Nicely done, Trooper Webster! If that highway patrol thing doesn't work out, you might have a future as a snake wrangler.

READ MORE: Very Busy 2 Days at Sturgis: DUIs, Fatal Crash, Monkey Encounter

So just how busy are things in Sturgis so far during the 2026 rally?

The South Dakota Department of Transportation is providing daily traffic counts at nine locations for vehicles entering Sturgis:

• Friday, August 7: 54,515 vehicles entered (Up 2.9% from the previous five-year average)
• Saturday, August 8: 2026: 58,519 vehicles entered (Up 2.5% from the previous five-year average)
• Sunday, August 9: 55,448 vehicles entered (Down 7.5% from the previous five-year average)
• Monday, August 10: 55,226 vehicles entered (Down 8.4% from the previous five-year average)
• Tuesday, August 11: 51,742 vehicles entered (Down 11.8% from the previous five-year average)
• 2026 Total to Date (5-days): 275,450 Vehicles (Down 4.7%)
• Previous Five-Year Average (2021-2025) 5-day total to date: 289,024 Vehicles

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