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We had the absolute pleasure of riding various sections of the Mickelson Trail and the scenery was just amazing. It goes through such a beautiful part of the Black Hills and is such a well maintained trail. I can't say enough good things about this trail and how much we enjoyed it, but there was a couple of things I am very disappointed in. First, in Hill City where the trail crosses Route 385 right at the 1880's Train, which we also absolutely loved by the way, there is a highway crossing with crosswalk signs and lines painted on the road. Both times we tried crossing we patiently waited for a break in traffic, because absolutely nobody stops or slows down for the crosswalk, and both times we were nearly hit because traffic flies around the curve with very little line of sight. I would avoid this crossing, especially if you have children, as you are taking your life into your own hands. Hill City needs to install flashing lights to alert drivers that people are trying to cross at this marked crosswalk. Hill City has a great parking area to access the trail, but someone is going to get killed trying to cross this busy highway if nothing is done to improve safety. Another disappointment was the Edgemont "Trailhead". You get to the trailhead and there are no signs to point you to the trail and we walked all through the park looking for anything that resembled a bike trail. I finally walked down the street into town and found a local who said the trail actually starts about a mile or so north from the "trailhead" and you ride on streets trying to find the actual trail. There are no signs directing you to the trail. We gave up and decided not to ride this section. There's also no place along Highway 18 to access the trail. This was quite disappointing as we wanted to ride through the Sheep Canyon to see where the old railroad trestle was. Please don't get me wrong... we LOVED the Mickelson Trail, but these two things could definitely use some improvement. You have got to ride the Mickelson Trail!
This is a great trail - it has a nice mix of access points, city parks, great scenery, urban infrastructure, and even circles the airport. I always appreciate these contrasts as an avid user of urban trails and recognize the work and commitment of the community to support a diverse trail that traverses many parts of the city. We were just stopping through for a night on our way home from a road trip and saw this on the map so decided to stretch our legs before getting back in the car. It did not disappoint!
Class 2 e-bikes are not allowed on the Mickelson trail as of January 2026!!! We discovered this change while in the process of purchasing trail passes on-line as part of our trip planning process. Luckily, we did not wait until we arrived in Deadwood to buy those passes because we would have wasted a 750 mile drive (one way) and untold dollars for gas, meals and lodging. Apparently someone with an anti e-bike agenda convinced the South Dakota legislature that e-bikes are a problem or represent a threat. We are retirement age and ride Velotric Fold One+ e-bikes which are class 2. We typically ride at a pace of 10 - 12 mph on gravel rail trails. There are many other retirees like us riding class 2 e-bikes. Sadly, our enthusiasm for the Mickelson trail is gone because the trails is now unavailable to us. The legislature should have chosen to allow Class 1 AND Class 2 e-bikes since both travel at a maximum speed of 20 mph, and prohibited Class 3s which can travel at 28 mph. The speed difference between Class 2 and Class 3 provides a more logical break point for state regulation. We will NOT be traveling to South Dakota unless and until the Class 2 restriction on the Mickelson trail is lifted.
This trail is only wheelchair accessible in the city limits of Deadwood, Hill City, Custer and Edgemont. The rest is NOT handicap accessible in any way, shape or form.
Very beautiful trail to walk or ride on! I’d recommend biking it! I saw dozens of wild turkeys and deer while I was there. It’s peaceful and quiet with very little to worry about! A place to unwind and get a good workout at. Fairly flat trail with multiple bathroom and water stops!
This trail is amazing. We rode this trail in August. Day 1 we rode from Deadwood to Custer. Day 2 Custer to Edgemont. The trail is crushed stone and well maintained from beginning until end. There is a 5$ daily fee to ride trail. They definitely put that $ towards maintenance very smooth riding. Along trail there are trailheads with bathroom, water to refill bottles, places to sit and get out of sun. Highly recommend area is beautiful and you will love the views!! Happy riding.
The concrete trail has some cracks, but it well maintained. The trail also connects several short side trails along the way. The creek is very scenic and the trail follows it most of the time.
Just an fyi. Very disappointing.
We rode from Yankton Park and went the opposite direction of the Falls Park and so glad we did. There is some trail detours as they are working on sections which did create a little confusion but the app helped. I would also say that there are asphalt trails which we all know end up with cracks to contend with. This is the route to take so as you get to the switchbacks prior to Falls Park it is down hill and a fun ride. The rest of the trail was awesome, more sunny than shaded but would definitely recommend as worth your time. It’s like a sightseeing trail with golf courses and zoos and tons of parks.
We took the trail from the town of Custer south to Pringle (about 12 miles). It was very picturesque and the trail was in great shape. The trail is entirely in the sun in this section and has a downward grade a lot of the way. Our trip back would have been challenging had we not been on e-bikes! We stopped for burgers in Pringle at the Hitch Rail bar & grill. They were great!
I live in Ohio. I rode the trail in May 2025. Twice, but in segments. Pringle to Edgemont and back on Thursday; Custer State Park to Pringle and back on Sunday (to meet my brother in Pringle who was biking from Key West, Florida to Alaska); then on Monday we biked from Custer State Park to Deadwood; the next day he went north to Alaska and I went south to Custer State Park. The trail was well maintained, some in the open and some more tree lined. Expect to go through lots of gates, but it is a great way to take a breather when going uphill. The trail stop shelters with tables, water, pit toilet, and a bike fix it station were great and nicely spaced. The scenery was beautiful. We went down into Deadmont on the Sugar Loaf Trailhead route, but I went back on the Kirk Trailhead route. That had a rougher stone surface in places and a portion (about 1/2 mile or less, but seemed much longer) was very steep. My inclometer registered 17 %, but even it that was off a bit, it was still steep. I had to walk that section. I have read that the length of the trail was 108.8 or 109 miles, but TrailLink says 112 miles. There is lots to see in the area, not just on or along the trail, so spend some time to explore and take in more adventures.
PS: As of this writing on May 30, my brother is in Alberta, Canada, having biked over 4,000 miles so far. I hope others use this trail as part of their BIG bike ride.
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