The George S. Mickelson Trail (Edgemont, SD to Deadwood, SD)

100 Miles in the Black Hills

We recently had the opportunity to head north and check out some of the sights and sounds of the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Black Hills are best known for monuments such as Mt. Rushmore, and Crazy Horse or parks such as Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park. However, there is another lesser-known attraction that runs the length of the Black Hills, the Mickelson Trail. The Mickelson Trail is a 109-mile rail trail that runs from Edgemont, SD to Deadwood, SD. Over 100 miles, the Mickelson trail meanders across the plains, through ponderosa forests, over passes, and across canyons. Last June, we packed up all our bikepacking gear and headed out for a grand adventure! Keep reading to learn more about our adventure, but first I’d like to share a little about the trail’s history.

Mickelson Trail History

The Mickelson Trail began as a railroad line in the early 1890s. In less than a year, 109 miles of track, hundreds of trestle bridges and four tunnels were constructed to carry trains all the way along the “high line” to Deadwood, South Dakota. This route was used by the Burlington Northern rail line until 1983. After the railroad abandoned the line, many groups of people, notably the then governor of South Dakota, George S. Mickelson, advocated for it to be turned into a rail trail. The transformation from rail line to trail took almost 15 years. The full length of the trail opened in 1998 and was named for one of its biggest advocates, George S. Mickelson, who died a few years earlier. One of the greatest challenges when building this trail were the hundreds of trestle bridges, many of which were almost 100 years old. All had to be certified and around 35 had to be fully rebuilt.

Trail Amenities

As part of the trail development, rest stops were installed all along the trail. These are little wooden structures placed around every 7-8 miles. All have signage about the area, and offer shaded picnic tables. Additionally, most feature water cisterns and bicycle workstations so you can fill your water bottles and make any necessary adjustments to your bicycle. These locations provide a great place to catch your breath, and take in the beauty of the Black Hills around you.

The trail surface is a crushed limestone which is extremely smooth and consistent along the whole route. The trail surface looks just like the photo below for most of the ride. We rode bikes with tires sized between 700×33 and 700×43 and had no trouble. Many other riders had gravel bikes or lightweight mountain bikes. In general, the layer of gravel is thin, but there are some places where skinny tires may start to dig in a little bit. As this is a rail trail, the hills may be long, but they aren’t too steep. In general, they do not exceed a 4% grade.

Additionally, the trail features concrete mile-markers all along the route. Number 1 is just outside of Edgemont, SD and number 109 is right at the Deadwood trailhead. These mile markers help to ensure you always know where you are and provide intermediate goals along the way.

In addition to mile markers, keep an eye out for other remnants of the railroad. In a few places, you can see the rails just poking through the trail (near Deadwood). Also, notice the metal markers with a W on them. These are around the same size as the mile markers. These signs signaled to train engineers to blow the whistle at railroad crossings and other congested locations.

Where to Stay and Planning Your Adventure

There are so many ways to enjoy the Mickelson trail. From day trips to multi-day adventures, the Mickelson trail offers something for everyone. There are many great sections for a day trip. Some of the most popular starting points are Mystic, Hill City, Custer, and Deadwood. If you start near Mystic, you can easily ride to most of the old railroad tunnels.

Many people do the trail in one direction and get a shuttle back to their car. This is an expensive option, but popular none-the-less. The most popular direction is from Deadwood to Edgemont. If you go in this direction, you get an extra 1000 feet of descent.

Since we enjoyed the trail so much, we made it into a multi-day trip with camping along the way. We rode Edgemont to Deadwood to Edgemont. There are a few developed campgrounds along the way. On the way out, we stayed one night at a campground called Oreville. This campground is just south of Hill City near mile marker 55. We also heard about a campground near Deadwood with showers and other amenities. Sadly, we didn’t get a chance to check it out though. There are also lots of private campgrounds and cabins along the way.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also go for it in a day. Its 109 miles and between 4,000 to 5,000 feet of elevation gain depending on the direction. There’s even an event called The Bick Mick. It’s an organized ride that goes from Deadwood to Edgemont. We got to talk to some of the organizers while we were out there. If you want more details take a look HERE.

For more information on where to stay and more about the trail visit the Mickelson Trail website HERE. The trip planner is a really nice function. It shows you where campgrounds, cabins, and other services are along the trail. Take a look at the maps and other info as well!

If you want further information on the trail, check out the Mickelson Trail Affiliates website HERE.

From the South Dakota Plains to Canyons

We started the trail on the southern end in the town of Edgemont, South Dakota. Edgemont is a small community just across the Wyoming border on the plains of South Dakota. After driving through town, you’ll find a park, a small campground, and the beginning of the Mickelson trail. Once we had all our bikes geared up, we got our trail passes. At the time of writing, a day pass on the Mickelson trail costs $5 while an annual pass costs $20. Once you get your pass, it’s on to the ride!

The start of the trail takes you back through downtown Edgemont, along fairly quiet streets for about a mile. After this, it’s a sharp right turn to the ribbon of gravel which takes you all the way to Deadwood. The trail starts out crossing the plains on a gentle railroad grade. There’s not much shade for these first few miles, so make sure you get an early start on hot days. After around four miles, the grade steepens slightly as you reach Sheep Canyon. This was one of our favorite parts of the ride. We saw flowering cactus as the railroad grade departs from the highway and heads off all by itself. The more we rode, the prettier the scenery became.

After another mile or two, we made it to the first trail stop for some water and a quick break. Here, we read the signs about Sheep Canyon, the old railroad, and even some of the old trestle bridges along the route. Soon enough, it was time to get back on the bikes. From here, the trail continues along a consistent, but very gradual climb through the rest of the canyon, and along ranches and a few farms. Soon enough, we made it to the next trail stop called Minnekahta. Here we stopped for some much-needed water and took a quick rest. This trailstop is around 15 miles from the trailhead in Edgemont. After a quick break, we continued on, enjoying the views across the plains as we rode.

From the Plains to Forests and Mountains of Bicycles…Oh My!

After riding for a few more miles, we began to climb up into ponderosa forests. Now, it felt like we were really in the Black Hills. Soon after making it to the forest, we were greeted with the next trailstop called, Lein Quarry. Here we again stopped for some water and read about a historic quarry just below. Once we left, we had a bit more climbing ahead of us through ponderosa forests. Soon enough, we topped out and enjoyed a short descent into Pringle, SD. On the way into Pringle keep an eye out to your right for a bunch of old Volkswagen Beetles perched on pedestals! In Pringle, another trailstop greeted us. There isn’t too much to see in Pringle, but we saw some roadside art on the way out of town. Care to guess how many bicycles went into this sculpture? We’d like to know too!

After leaving Pringle, the railroad grade joined up with the highway and made its way through the hills toward Custer. Here, we passed a few more trailstops and enjoyed the new adventures with every turn. Everything was so green during our early June trip. One of the best parts of the rail trail was getting to see places you’d never see on the road. Here, the rail trail followed sections of highway, but also meandered through National Forest, private ranches, and even some neighborhoods. As we began to approach Custer, we saw some more art along the trail. This totem pole was near mile marker 39. It features many Black Hills legends such as Wild Bill Hickok, presidents from Mount Rushmore, George Custer. and more!

The Heart of Black Hills Attractions

After reaching the top of yet another hill, we were greeted with a quick downhill into Custer, SD. Custer, SD is quite touristy. There are many restaurants and a downtown as well. On our way through town, we stopped at the grocery store for ice cream bars. Ice cream is always a good snack no matter what time of day!

After leaving Custer, we made it to another climb. This climb was around 5 miles long and topped out at a trailstop called The Mountain. Here, the trail meandered through pretty green landscapes.

After topping out, we were greeted with views of one of the famous monuments of the Black Hills…Crazy Horse! See if you can spot it in the photo below.

From here it was about 15 miles to Hill City. And….mostly downhill! Hill City is another town with accommodations, food and attractions. If you need more food, make sure to stock up here. Your next main food stop is in Deadwood. While in Hill City, we decided to get some egg rolls and burritos at the supermarket deli.

After leaving Hill City, we had another hill ahead of us. This hill took us through the outlying neighborhoods of Hill City and green fields. Soon enough, we made it to the top of the hill to a trailstop called Red Fern. Here, we read a little more about the area, took a break and ate our food from Hill City.

The Famous Tunnels

Next up, it was a nice downhill into an area called Mystic. This was another one of our favorite parts of the trail. As we started down the hill, we got to see cows grazing in the fields and were looking forward to the tunnels. Before you reach Mystic, you get to ride through three of the four railroad tunnels. These tunnels offer the chance to see the handiwork of the original railroad workers. Keep an eye out as you go through since they are not lighted and the edges of the trail drop off a bit.

Mystic is another “don’t miss” portion of the trail. Mystic was an old mining community and a stop on the railroad back in the day. Not much remains of the town, but there are some cool signs to read along the way. There’s an old church just off the trail here as well.

In addition to the sites in Mystic, this is one of the cooler and more shaded sections of the trail. Here the trail passes thru a dense pine forest and follows a creek. We also saw one of the prettier trestle bridges here too. Take a look at the photo below!

After a few miles, the trail begins to climb again towards the next town called Rochford. There was another trailstop here. From Rochford, its 10 miles to Dumont, the highest location on the trail. This is another scenic section. The trail takes you through National Forest and ranches as it heads for the high point. This section of trail provides a slow and steady climb all the way up. Every corner brings an unexpected view and even the fourth tunnel!

 

It’s all Downhill to Deadwood

As you approach the top of the hill, you’ll see a sign for the Dumont trailstop. Here, there is water, a parking lot, and a cabin. From Dumont, it’s a downhill all the way to Deadwood. On the way down, you’ll pass everything from meadows to dense forests, and lots of mining ruins. A few miles outside of Deadwood, you’ll reach the one and only fork in the road. Here, the trail deviates from the railroad grade and there are two options. One is steeper and a little shorter, and the other follows a grade similar to the railroad grade but slightly steeper and with tighter curves. Make sure to keep an eye on the hills above the valleys. You’ll see new and old mining equipment, along with pretty views. On the way to Deadwood, notice the old train tracks poking through the gravel.

After enjoying the downhill and the views, we stopped for some lunch at Taco Johns in Deadwood. Then it was time for the ride back to Edgemont.

If you’ve never been to Deadwood, take a few minutes and walk around. There are lots of pretty sights and historic buildings.

If you have any rail trail suggestions, please share with us! We always love to find new trails to check out!