George S Mickelson Trail
The George S. Mickelson Trail is a premier crushed limestone and gravel rail-trail traversing the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota while offering stunning scenery – my pictures don’t do it justice. Named after the former South Dakota governor who championed its creation, the trail is a testament to the rails-to-trails movement, converting abandoned railroad corridors into multi-use pathways. The Mickelson Trail, which follows the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad branch line, has been inducted into the Rail Trail Hall of Fame.
Spanning 109 miles south to north from Edgemont to Deadwood, the landscape changes from open prairie to rugged canyons and valleys to spruce and pine forests. In addition to a wide variety of bird species, wildlife includes deer, elk, turkeys, foxes, and coyotes. We saw many signs to watch out for rattlesnakes, saw huge snake tracks crossing the trail, and even encountered a dead rattlesnake in the middle of the trail.
Most of the trail passes through National Forest Land, but some parts traverse privately owned land. It’s important in those marked areas to stay within the trail boundries.
Breaking Our Ride into Four Segments
With a goal to ride the entire 109-mile trail, but without someone to shuttle us to the start and pick us up at the end, and not wanting to ride 218 miles roundtrip in one day, we had no choice but to tackle the trail in shorter out-and-back segments. We didn’t ride segments starting at one end and eventually ending at the other, but instead rode segments that made sense based on where we were staying. In fact, we didn’t solidify our plan the ride the entire length of the trail until the third day.
Below I’ve broken down our ride across the entire Mickelson Trail into our four separate segments. Each segment is a different color to make it easier to see where we were riding on that day.
- • Day 1: Green – Hill City to Rochford loop
- • Day 2: Yellow – Deadwood to Rochford loop
- • Day 3: Blue – Hill City to Sanator loop
- • Day 4: Pink – Edgemont to Sanator loop
Day 1: Hill City/Rochford Loop (Green Segment)
We arrived at Hill City eager to ride on the beautiful George S Mickelson Trail. With a daily fee of $4, or an annual feel of $15, we each bought an annual pass considering we only had $20’s on us and planned on riding the trail a few times over the next several days.
The weather was pretty much perfect when we parked at a main trailhead next to the train station which had nice restrooms and where a tourist train still runs. From there, we made our way north and climbed for about 8 miles along the long grade to get out of Hill City. The gravel trail was dotted with shelters and water pumps, and this particular section included several wonderfully rustic tunnels. There were gates to open and close as we rode in and out of property with cattle, and the occasional cow or horse pile to dodge.
We watched the sky turn from bright blue to dark and threatening as we approached our turnaround point. About 7 miles later it started raining as we approached the Mystic Trailhead. We ducked into the perfectly placed shelter with several other cyclists just as a storm moved into the area. We waited until until the thunder and lightning moved out before resuming our ride, once again in the beautiful sunshine.
The reverse trip heading south after the turnaround gave us a nice downhill the last 8 miles back to the finish, a welcome treat for our tired legs!
Ride Overview
- • Location: George S. Mickelson Trail Hill City/Rochford loop
- • Course Type: rail trail out and back
- • Course Surface: gravel
- • Bike: Salsa Warbird
- • Distance: 45.44 miles
- • Time: 3:52:09
- • Average Speed: 11.7 MPH
- • Maximum Speed: 22 MPH
- • Elevation Gain: 2,001 feet
- • Elevation Range: 4,813 to 5,600 feet
- • Weather: 70° and partly cloudy with 39% humidity, climbing to 80°
- • What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves
- • Date of ride: July 31, 2024
- • Start time: 9:33 AM
All smiles as we started our ride!
At the first of many water refills pumping delicious cold water from one of the many cisterns along the trail…
Additionally, there were restrooms aplenty along the trail…
Rustic tunnels gave us the feeling of riding into old gold mines…
Trailhead signs replicated railroad crossing signs…
Beautiful scenery along the trail…
After riding just beyond the Rochford Trailhead to check out the Moonshine Gulch Saloon we decided it would be the perfect spot for lunch the following day. Check out the people behind us waving!
After our turnaround in Rochford, the sky started getting dark and threatening…
After sitting out a 20-minute storm in the Mystic Trailhead shelter we started our ride again with a few rumbles of thunder in the distance as the storm moved farther ahead of us…
Storm clouds pulling away ahead of us…
These quaking aspen provided the perfect backdrop for my bike…
Just one of many gates to open and close…
Full service rest stop…
Stunning views all around…
Enjoying 8 miles of mostly downhill heading back into Hill City…
Engine on display next to the train station where we parked…
Just two days before the official start of Sturgis, riders were already in town and Harley-Davidson had a huge display of bikes next to the trail. By comparison, I think my bike is much prettier and it’s human powered!
Garmin Stats
Post-ride Garmin…
Garmin map and elevation graph…
Day 2: Deadwood/Rochford Loop (Yellow Segment)
What better way to celebrate our 43rd wedding anniversary than to do something we both love, grinding some gravel in the mountains on a beautiful secluded rail trail! We rode from our hotel through the fresh-out-of-a-western-movie town of Deadwood, hopping on the trail just a short distance southwest of town. With stupendous mountain and river gulch views, the breathtaking scenery never got old as we made our way south.
As planned we had lunch at the Moonshine Gulch Saloon at our turnaround point. When I ordered my burger well done with no pink, the waitress told me that the temperature of the burger depended on which cook was working that day. Alrighty then…
Shortly after lunch we stopped back at the Rochford Trailhead to refill our water bottles where we were approached by a South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks employee who asked if we’d answer a few questions about eBikes on the Mickelson Trail. They were trying to stay ahead of the possible problem faster eBike could cause when mixed with people riding regular bicycles. Our only concern with eBike riders we’d experienced thus far on the Mickelson Trail was their failure to call out when they were passing.
Ride Overview
- • Location: George S. Mickelson Trail Deadwood/Rochford loop
- • Course Type: rail trail out and back
- • Course Surface: gravel
- • Bike: Salsa Warbird
- • Distance: 56.2 miles
- • Time: 4:55:57
- • Average Speed: 11.5 MPH
- • Maximum Speed: 24.1 MPH
- • Elevation Gain: 2,736 feet
- • Elevation Range: 4,532 to 6,150 feet
- • Weather: 77° and sunny with 44% humidity, climbing to 91°
- • What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves
- • Date of ride: August 1, 2024
- • Start time: 9:16 AM
An easy ride down Main Street from our hotel, we got on the Mickelson Trail at the Deadwood Trailhead…
Another absolutely beautiful day with a bluebird sky!
It was nice to have the rocks cut away for a flatter trail…
Bikes parked with a fantastic view…
One of several places to pay to use the trail (we’d paid the first day)…
More stunning scenery…
Our turnaround point at the Rochford Trailhead…
But first, we rode just a little farther for lunch at the Moonshine Gulch Saloon. No pictures of our burgers, just of the bar decor…
My husband and the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks employee who asked us a few questions about our encounters with eBikes on the Mickelson Trail…
Our 43rd wedding anniversary photo!
Kudos to the Mickelson Trail!
Garmin Stats
Post-ride Garmin map and elevation graph…
Day 3: Hill City/Sanator Loop Starting in Custer (Blue Segment)
Starting in Custer, we rode north to Hill City, turned and rode south to Sanator before turning to ride back north to Custer. The weather continued to be outstanding with low humidity making the higher temps tolerable. It felt much warmer, though, with less tree coverage than on our previous two rides on the Mickelson Trail.
The highlight of the day’s ride was seeing the Crazy Horse monument which is still very much under construction. We could see the monument at a great distance from the trail and paid $10 per bike to ride inside the park for a closer look. Because we didn’t have locks for our bikes, we weren’t able to take the shuttle to the base of the monument to see the ongoing carving at a much closer distance. We did risk leaving our bikes unlocked in the bike rack long enough to go inside to enjoy the museum, though.
It was during this ride that we decided to ride the entire length of the Mickelson Trail, so at what would have been the end of the day’s ride, we decided to add 12 miles so we’d have less to ride the next day.
While in Hill City we stopped at Granite Sports, the oldest specialty store in the Black Hills which sells gear and clothing for cycling, hiking, backpacking, camping, and rock climbing. My husband bought a Mickelson Trail jersey, but it was only available in unisex sizes so I passed on buying one.
Ride Overview
- • Location: George S. Mickelson Trail Hill City/Sanator loop starting in Custer
- • Course Type: rail trail out and back
- • Course Surface: gravel
- • Bike: Salsa Warbird
- • Distance: 51.19 miles
- • Time: 4:25:23
- • Average Speed: 11.6 MPH
- • Maximum Speed: 32.9 MPH
- • Elevation Gain: 2,087 feet
- • Elevation Range: 5,033 to 5,923 feet
- • Weather: 78° and sunny with 31% humidity, climbing to 91°
- • What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves
- • Date of ride: August 3, 2024
- • Start time: 8:09 AM
We entered the trail at the Harbach Park Trailhead in Custer…
Old Burlington Northern caboose…
Another beautiful day with incredible views of the Black Hills…
First sighting of Crazy Horse…
With Sturgis starting in a day, this bikes sign is referring to motorcycles…
Inside the park, but as close as we could get without taking the shuttle…
Finished Crazy Horse carving replica inside the museum…
Did I mention the weather was outstanding?
Our first turnaround spot…
We watched the tourist train pull out before continuing back south…
Just beautiful, yet very different, views!
When we arrived in Sanator, we picked this distinctive rock as our turnaround location so we’d know exactly where to turn the following day as we approached it from the south…
Garmin Stats
Post-ride Garmin…
Garmin map and elevation graph…
Day 4: Edgemont/Sanator Loop (Pink Segment)
Once my husband had put the idea of us riding the entire length of the Mickelson Trail in my head the previous day, there was no way I was backing down so we were up early and on the trail for the final segment which would also be the longest, windiest, and hottest.
From our hotel in Custer, we drove south to the main trailhead (mile marker 0) so the first half of the ride would be heading north at a gradual uphill and after the turnaround we’d have a nice little mostly downhill finish. We couldn’t find water or restrooms at the trailhead (we later found the restrooms when we finished), but after that there was water and a restroom at a minimum of every 16 miles.
We quickly discovered that there was a fierce headwind, all the more reason to look forward to the turnaround. Sixteen miles into the ride the sky got dark and threatening, the headwind picked up to 14 MPH, and we briefly considered turning and riding back to our car. However, thinking about how nice the tailwind would be on the return downhill trip kept us focused as we pushed through the wind for another 21 miles.
Shortly before arriving in Sanator where we would be turning to head back south, my husband looked at his phone and realized that the wind was shifting and we’d be facing an even stronger headwind on the return trip. Later, I was shocked to see a heat advisory pop up on my Garmin, but when the temperature topped out at 99° it felt like we were in an oven, and with the headwind, it felt like a convection oven. I was getting dehydrated despite the amount of water I was drinking, and with 16 miles to go and very little shade, I was beginning to worry that we really could get into trouble in such a remote area, especially with limited cell service and so few other people around.
In addition to the wind and heat, this section of the trail was the toughest with small loose gravel and sections rutted where livestock had hung out. It had the least amount of tree coverage leaving us exposed to the sun and wind. In addition to seeing a dead rattlesnake, we saw slithery tracks where they’d crossed the trail after a rain, making the signs to watch for rattlesnakes and poison ivy all the more meaningful.
Despite how tough our ride on our this segment of the trail had been, we finished unscathed and elated!
Ride Overview
- • Location: George S. Mickelson Trail Edgemont/Sanator loop
- • Course Type: rail trail out and back
- • Course Surface: gravel
- • Bike: Salsa Warbird
- • Distance: 75.55 miles
- • Time: 6:20:25
- • Average Speed: 11.9 MPH
- • Maximum Speed: 21.1 MPH
- • Elevation Gain: 2,375 feet
- • Elevation Range: 3,427 to 5,120 feet
- • Weather: 75° and partly cloudy with 16% humidity, climbing to 99° and mostly cloudy
- • What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves
- • Date of ride: August 4, 2024
- • Start time: 7:14 AM
It was shocking how the landscape had changed to barren prairie just 38 miles south of where we’d ridden the day before…
Climbing away from the barren prairie…
Rolling prairie grasslands…
Lots more gates to open and close on this segment…
According to this sign, “Legend says that at one time, the trestle was so rickety, the freight train engineer would stop the train and walk across. Once across, the other person on the train would put the train into gear and jump off. When the train got to the other side, the engineer would hop on, stop the train and wait for the other person to walk across.” Fascinating!
View leaving Sheep Canyon Shelter…
Happily rolling along before the threat of a storm…
View about 25 minutes north of Minnekahta Trailhead shelter…
And a little farther north…
Tumbleweed blowing around in the wind!
Getting back into the more forested areas as we made our way north…
This picture of my husband exemplifies how we both felt…
Sunflowers dotted the landscape the farther north we rode…
Remnants of the Black Hills Lime Company…
In Pringle we passed this sculpture made of hundreds of old bicycles and bike parts arranged in a large haphazard pile. I wish I’d walked over closer because I later learned that it has a tunnel with a path that goes through the middle of the sculpture.
At this point the trail crossed privately owned land for a short distance (the double track is a driveway)…
We had our first bison spotting of the trip, even though these were on a ranch…
We made it to our turnaround rock!
Just gorgeous!
Dead rattlesnake…
Back to the rolling prairie…
Mile marker 1 and almost finished!
Garmin Stats
Post-ride Garmin…
Garmin map and elevation graph…
Final Thoughts on the Ride
Our four days riding the George S Mickelson Trail remain as my favorite cycling adventure/undertaking. This award winning rail trail provides a great variety of terrain with the landscape changing from open prairie to rugged canyons and valleys to spruce and pine forests. With 9,199 feet of climbing over 218 miles there’s a nice variety of elevation without being overwhelming, and for the most part, the trail surface was in very good condition. If I lived nearby, this trail would absolutely be a favorite place to ride.
Questions:
- • Have you been to South Dakota? ~ This was my first time visiting.
- • Have you tried bike touring, with or without sag support? ~ This was our third time. We did North Key Largo to Key West in 2022 and Florida Coast to Coast in 2024, both with sag support, but this was our first attempt without support (thus the out and backs each day).
- • Do you stop and relax occasionally to fuel or take pictures, or barrel on through when on a long run or ride? ~ Pictures, always pictures, unless I’m racing!
What a pretty ride. I love how you document each aspect.
You guys are so cute in your matching outfits.
Never been to do Dakota.
Of course I stop to take pics on all my runs esp in new places.
We fell in love with South Dakota – it was so beautiful! It’s so fun to document run, rides, hikes, etc. with pictures. 🙂
I am so grateful that your response is pictures over barreling through! I am living so vicariously through you!
I have never done this… I just told my husband about your adventures and how cool it would be to try something like that and he went a little pale LOL!
Happy anniversary! So glad you are able to spend it doing something you love with someone you love!
I’m glad you’re enjoying reading about our adventures! LOL on your husband going a little pale. 😉 And thank you, it was a great way to spend our anniversary.