The Black Hills & Mickelson Trail

Former South Dakota Governor George S. Mickelson envisioned a bike trail that would follow an abandoned railroad line through the beautiful Black Hills. Though the governor died before it was completed, his legacy lives on along the Mickelson Trail, completed in 1998. Traverse the entire 109 miles of the trail, from Edgemont to Deadwood, cutting through rugged mountain terrain, towering evergreen forests and grassy prairies. Cycle along the trail’s easy grades and crushed limestone surface through three plant ecosystems. Your cycling instructors double as local historians and naturalists, as they share with you stories of the Black Hills Gold Rush and the ghost towns that line the trail and point out geologic structures, flora and fauna.

Learn about geology and human history along the way.

Highlights

• Conquer the entire Mickelson Trail on a cycling journey through the stunning Black Hills, learning about local native and settler history along the way.
• Ride to the world’s largest sculpture, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
• Take a field trip to the Mammoth Site to observe an active paleontological excavation site, boasting the largest concentration of mammoth remains in the world.

Cycling 16-35 miles daily on wide trail of crushed gravel and limestone. Trail grades up to 4% and trail elevation gains/losses up to 1,000 feet while cycling. Elevation range 3,450 to 6,300 feet during program. Walking one mile on uneven terrain, standing for up to two hours and climbing stairs.