Notice: The northern Deadwood Trailhead is currently under repair until further notice. Additionally, the spur trail east towards Custer City is closed. See here for more current updates.
Overview
Named in honor of the former South Dakota governor who crusaded for the trail before his death in a plane crash in 1993, the George S. Mickelson Trail runs through the heart of the Black Hills, connecting Deadwood with Edgemont. The crushed-stone pathway incorporates nearly 100 converted railroad bridges and 4 tunnels, and much of it traverses national forest; however, some segments pass through private lands and users are asked to respect landowner rights.
In many places the trail is notched into the mountains—pressed up against granite walls to one side and dropping off steeply on the other. The granite gives way to slabs of slate stacked haphazardly like tall, thin texts on a bookshelf.
The trail is largely rural, with limited cell service, however; it does pass through several small towns and nearby state parks and campgrounds.
About the Route
The George S. Mickelson Trail's northern section (starting from Deadwood) cuts a curving course through mountains and ponderosa pine forests, over creeks and through narrow valleys by the towns of Deadwood, Lead, Rochford and Mystic. Every few miles, the trail crosses converted railroad bridges, some with trestles hundreds of feet high. Just south of Mystic, a once-thriving mining town, trail users encounter a 40-foot-long keyhole tunnel, which was formed by blasting through rock and lined with beams cut to fit the curving contours that give the tunnel its keyhole appearance.
The northernmost 16 miles (between Deadwood and Dumont), the trail is the steepest, with Dumont the highest point along the trail. The rest of the trail rarely exceeds a 4% grade.
From Hill City south through Custer, the trail travels through a gradually changing landscape, from mountains and corridors of ponderosa pine to high mountain meadows and the open prairie. Valleys stretch and cattle graze in the fields. Trail users will find many attractions close to this stretch of the trail, including the Crazy Horse Monument, which the trail passes north of Custer, and Mount Rushmore, located 6 miles east of the trail when it passes through Hill City. South of Custer, trail users can take a side trip east from the town of Pringle to reach Wind Caves National Park in 6 miles. Bison, elk and other wildlife roam the park’s rolling prairie grasslands, while a complex cave system sprawls beneath.
South of Pringle, the trail heads south, passing Argyle, towards Edgemont, a small town with retail and convenience options. The trail meets its southern endpoint here in Edgemont, which is considered Mile Marker 0.0 by South Dakota State Parks.
Connections
In Custer, trail users can take the Custer State Park Spur to the state park of the same name, which offers which offers camping opportunities, wildlife viewing, and a replica of an 1874 log fort.
Trail History
While it took less than 1 year to build the railroad line in the early 1890s, it took more than 15 years to develop the George S. Mickelson Trail (aka "the Big Mick") on the right-of-way, from 1983 when Burlington Northern abandoned what was known as the High Line to the trail's dedication in September 1998. In addition to the support provided by the late governor, the Black Hills Rails to Trails Association was integral in crusading for the railbanking of this corridor by the state and seeing it converted into a multi-use trail. With prodding from the local trail group, Burlington Northern donated the right-of-way to the state in 1989.
The George S. Mickelson Trail runs between Deadwood Trailhead, Charles St. (Deadwood) and 105 E St. (Edgemont), with parking at either end.
Additional parking can be found at:
There are numerous parking options along this route, See TrailLink Map for more parking options and detailed directions.
Beautiful scenery and wildlife and so well maintained! Friendly people all along the way. Excellent trailheads with water, bike tools, air! I only saw one review commenting on the hills. There really is no flat according to our elevation record on Strava. It is either a looooong uphill or a loooong downhill. Even though the hills are only 4% grade, 10 miles of that gets old. My husband and I are 64 & 62, no e-bikes, thank you and riding loaded. We ride 40 miles twice a week up and down hills usually with a headwind, but the ride from Custer to Deadwood was pretty taxing for us. We would do it again but probably do the whole trail and take 3 days. trip from
Rode the entire trail from Edgemont to Deadwood over two days. The scenery was spectacular. Every last foot of the trail surface was smooth and even; I cannot heap enough praise on the State Parks Department for the job that they do in maintaining the trail and trailheads.
Completed in three days. Started in Deadwood, ended in Edgemont.
Rode 24 total miles from the start in Deadwood. There was a total of 1550 feet of elevation gain. A few miles from town there is an option to go left or right. I took left on the way out and came back the other trail. The left option is definitely more remote but has some sections with 9+% grade. I did not really have the right gears and couldn’t stand up without losing traction. The other trail does not seem to have as steep gradients. I have 42c tires running tubeless with pressure in the mid 30s. I have a 1x setup with 36t chainring and a 44t largest cog.
Rode 36 miles RT from our HipCamp to Crazy Horse. 1,000 ft increase in elevation in the 18 mi out portion. Beautiful views between Custer and Crazy Horse
This is one of the best trails ever! We stayed at a B & B, Bishop Mountain Rental, which is right off the trailhead in Hill City! Enjoyed the ride so much!
this is a very well maintained trail with the exception of the first few miles out of Deadwood. this section does not drain as well as the rest and has some rough spots. the scenery is unbeatable, following a small stream and lined by granite and trees. we took a shuttle from Hill City to Dumont and rode back to Hill City. the rest of our riding was out and back rides covering the rest of the trail south to Pringle. I highly recommend this trail!