Mickelson Trail Forum

Looking for suggestions for company to rent 2 standard hybrid adult bikes from. Need to be directly along/very close to trail and looking for a four day rental in June.

Banning Class 3 bikes has become pretty common for recreational trails around the country, and is emerging as a nationwide standard. Banning Class 2 is a bit unusual, because they don't go any faster than Class 1 - and maybe more importantly, because almost no Class 1 bikes are sold in this country! Nearly everything is Class 2 or Class 3. I won't be surprised if the Legislature revisits this AGAIN in another year or two to rectify this.

It will be interesting to see how GFP enforces this and how the rental outfits respond, since the Mickelson sees so many rental e-fatbikes that are probably Class 3. Most should be "downgradeable" to Class 2 via the control panel by setting the max speed to 20 (even my lower-budget Class 2 Aventon e-bike has a menu-adjustable max speed setting). Also, most can become Class 1 by doing this plus simply removing/disabling the throttle: I have actually done this on my own rig, not to comply with any laws but simply because I prefer to pedal and never use the button. But I suspect that very, VERY few bike owners will actually do that.

Whether or not you have a throttle is a fairly meaningless distinction, so I suspect that enforcement will be mostly focused on the Class 3 bikes.

"Almost no class 1 bikes sold in the country"??? In Utah there are loads of Class 1 eMTB. They are slowly becoming acceptable on trails. Class 2 & 3 are still pariahs because of the throttle on the class 2 and the speed on the class 3. Maybe the issue here is I'm looking at eMTB, not all the other kinds of electric assist bikes that are not really suitable for single track. So.Many.Bikes.So.Little.Time.

I and my wife and friends ride class 3 e-bikes because they were the ones that are lightweight , not because they can go fast. We ride about 60-70% of the time with no power turned on. We use power on hills only and ride the same speed we do on regular bikes, average 11 mph or so. The restrictions I read about for class 3 bikes seem to tell me that we would be completely under the radar. Are people like us ticketed for being on class 3?

Well, if they enforce the law they just passed you SHOULD BE ticketed. If people can just say "I only use the power on hills and only go the speed of regular bikes" to avoid a ticket, then everyone will be riding Class 3 bikes using that logic. Why wouldn't they? I certainly would.

I'm not saying you would be ticketed, because I don't know how strictly they will enforce this new law. But the law won't have much teeth to it if all you have to say is "no worries, I never go over 11 mph, you can trust me."

Maybe not a great analogy, but let's say I carry burglary tools in my car. Can I tell the arresting officer, "no worries, I never actually use them." No one would believe me. Yeah, I know that's a stretch, but you get the idea. Legally, you're riding on a prohibited bike regardless of the speed you are going.

If they don't ticket everyone on a Class 3 e-bike, how do they justify giving anyone a ticket for riding a Class 3 bike? Selective enforcement almost never works.

Here's the legal thing: If you run over and hurt someone riding your Class 3 bike when you knew they were prohibited, do you risk being sued? I don't know, but I wouldn't chance it myself.

Either enforce the laws or tell legislatures to quit wasting time and money passing them. JMHO.

Full disclosure: I'm an old-school rider on a ME-BIKE who has had two major accidents since 2018 (one on the Mickelson) caused by E-Bike riders on throttled bikes. So, I didn't lose any sleep when South Dakota banned Class 2 and 3 on the Mickelson. We'll see if the new law actually works. I have my doubts.

I AM savvy enough to know that e-bikes ARE the future. It's the American way. That doesn't mean I have to like them! :)

My advice to anyone who finds the few hills on the Mickelson difficult to ride is to get off and walk your bike for a stretch. I have. You'll enjoy the scenery that you might otherwise miss and be ready to coast down the other side! It's a beautiful trail.

It's interesting that around here most e-bikers on local trails are 20-30 somethings that at least appear in rather good shape. Just an observation.

Hello all,
I am planning to backpack the Centennial Trail in mid May south to north from Wind Cave National Park to Bear Butte State Park. Parking my car at Wind Cave. Does anyone have a suggestion for a place to safely leave my bike near Bear Butte or the north end of the Mickelson trail so I can ride south back to my car?

Doesn’t look like a lot of options along the trail since it’s outside of the urban areas. Thinking outside the box here: The VA has a campus there and the trail goes right by. On that campus is a fire station. If it were me I would show up with a gift card to the local grocery store along with a box of donuts. It’s further away, and means more backtracking, but the Black Hills national cemetery might let you store it there too…..like in the maintenance barn area. Even chained up outside in a safe spot might be an option for you.

You could check with the bike shops in Custer or Hill city. I'm confident they would store your bike. I believe they both provide shuttle service, so they could ferry you and your bike to any trailhead on the Mickelson Trail.

Thanks! Awesome suggestions!

What direction would be the easiest way, North to South or South to North?
Not sure yet but we may take our RV should would also need shuttle service.

Hi Diane,
It is easier to ride North to South. But both ways are a good challenge. Coming from Texas, we stayed in Edgemont and shuttled to Deadwood. I highly recommend this beautiful route!

Thank you Cindy for your reply. That is the direction we will go.

Hi,
What shuttle company did you use to shuttle you and your bikes from Edgemont up to Deadwood? I'm having trouble finding one that does that.

Thank you,
Jeannie

These places offer shuttle service: Bicycles and Boats 605-574-5695, Rabbit Bicycles 605-484-6592, Black Hills Shuttle 605-645-9521

Has anyone ridden the trail during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally? Not sure if it'll be too noisy and busy for our liking...

I am confused by your question. Are you expecting the motorcycles on the trail? Or will it be too noisy where the major road crossings near by?

I have zero problems with motorcycles or riders, or the rally. I do suggest avoiding a trip to ride the Mickelson during the Sturgis motorcycle rally, including one week before and after. The rally has tens of thousands of participants or more in the region. The hotels and restaurants and camps will be packed, plus the side by side type ATVs will be everywhere including multiple trail crossings. This will definitely impact your visit, especially if you have to overnight somewhere or eat out, or see the sites they are also visiting. They are also tourists like you, me or others, just with a different hobby.

Does anyone know if there is parking/trail access available at the Red Fern Rest Area (just south of Mystic)? Same question for the Daugherty Trailhead just a few miles north of Red Fern?

Not absolutely sure, but it looked that way when I drove past there last year. However, you may want to know where I was driving TO, which was the Whitetail trailhead just 3 miles north of Redfern. Whitetail is officially a trailhead for the Deerfield trail, but I used it as a trailhead for the Mickelson, which is right across the road.

Thanks for the info Dan !

I'm curious how others planned their trips:

How did you deal with the lodging dead spot between Lead and Hill City?

Some have shuttled, some have stayed at a cabin for an extra night.

I have a party of 6 trying to figure it out.

Sounds like you or some in the group don’t want to ride the 45 miles between the two towns? If you have more than one vehicle perhaps you could stage one of the vehicles at a trailhead along the way as an option. Another option is if there are two riders in the group that can’t ride 45 miles in a day, one could ride the first half while the other drives a support vehicle that first half. They could switch roles at a trailhead along the way. This support role could also come in handy in case of a mechanical or personal issue. You could also check the Mickelson Trail Affiliates website for shuttle services. Some companies will even shuttle your personal vehicle which as a solo rider doing the trail over two days is how I did it. My truck was waiting for me at the trailhead in Edgemont. I was worried about my keys being with my truck so I bought a real estate type lockbox off Amazon. I set the combo to courier Bills phone number for his ease and he locked my truck keys in the box and secured to the truck bed. I was going to return the box afterwards since Amazon has a generous return policy but kept it for future use. The company I used was Black Hills Discovery Tours HOWEVER, Bill the owner has retired since I used him in 2023. He sold the business to Black Hills Shuttle. That business is among the companies on the Affiliates website.

Thanks Eric! I will keep this in my options list

Keep in mind that massive stretches of the ride will be downhill, so you can make great time without much work on those sections, after you have done the work on the climbs. If you divvy up the ride too much, you might have days that are pretty much all uphill or all downhill. For me, that is less fun than having a more balanced day where the hard work and payoff occur with less interruption. Check the elevation chart on this site to get an idea of where things happen. There are sections where you can go 10-15 miles without pedaling.

Trail was in great condition, plenty of E Bikes. We only got dusted by them once. Most people were riding them as they are supposed to be ridden. Caught in crazy downpour near Custer. Plenty of wildlife in morning ride from Custer to Edgemont. And I highly recommend Vince over at Black Hills Shuttles.

Thanks for the information.

We are thinking about doing the trail with crossover ebikes. Based upon your experience, do you think we need true mountain bikes to comfortably ride this trail?

Crossover/hybrid e-bikes are more than fine on the Mickelson. It's pretty well-packed, relatively fine gravel. No need for a true MTB.

Hey all -
I have done some bike packing on mtn bike trails and am pretty confident. I want to bring my dog along on this trip in a tow behind trailer. Has anyone done this? Is the trail wide enough in all areas for a dog trailer with two wheels or would I need a one wheeled trailer. I would love to hear all things from anyone who had taken their dog on the entire trail including accomidations. Thanks so much for any info!

We just took our dog in a trailer RT from Minnekahte to Edgewood. There are gates to pass through on portions of the trail, but his trailer fit through them. We were hauling an 86 pound Labrador!

Yes, the trail is very wide. Even gates and gaps between bollards at road crossings will be wide enough for a bike trailer.

This will be my first visit and am looking for recomendations for the best bike choice. Road vs Gravel? I have a 29er MTB bike available.

Is this trail paved, crushed rock or a combo?

Thanks in advance/

The trail surface is packed crushed limestone and gravel. You might find a few paved sections in towns like Hill City, but for the most part the trail surface is limestone and gravel.

I guess you could ride parts of the trail on a road bike, but I certainly wouldn't try it for most of the trail. I road it on a Trek Checkpoint with 40c tires and I really appreciated that tire width on most of the trail. There are some really loose sections on the trail that thin tires would dig into, I think. 25c or 28c wouldn't be something I'd recommend.

The last time I was on the trail I saw many E-bikes with up to 50c tires. In my opinion, 35c width is the smallest I'd go with.

Of course, I'm sure many have ridden the entire trail on a road bike with narrow tires. I just don't think that's ideal.

Watch out for the E-bikes. They are becoming prevalent on the trail. They go a lot faster than they should IMO and the trail stewards really don't do anything about it.

Good luck and enjoy the ride.

We rode last Fall and my partner and I did nearly the entire length of the trail on gravel bikes with 40c pathfinders. The trail surface was amazing and I think a road bike with 30c is manageable and perhaps faster but not as comfy.

I've ridden well over half the Mickelson and would say you could probably ride it on a road bike if you're comfortable with it on fairly smooth gravel, but it would not be the most enjoyable way go. It would be a lot more pleasurable (and likely just about as fast) on a cyclocross, gravel or hybrid bike with at least 35mm tires and some tread.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a safe place to park out truck and fifth wheel trailer for the three days that we are cycling the Mickelson Trail. We would want to park it in Edgemont as we will be getting a shuttle from there to Deadwood.

Hi,

I've been trying to find a shuttle from Edgemont back up to like Rochford. You mentioned taking a shuttle north from Edgemont. Would you mind telling me what company you are using for that?

Thank you,
Jeannie

Hello Jeannie, I've been in touch with Stacey Phillips (skphillips@midconetwork.com) for out shuttle needs.

My wife requires an e-bike to comfortably ride a trail with hills. I was wondering if she will be able to ride her class 3 bike there, or should we cancel our trip? We would be riding in a group of 4, and 3 of the bikes wouldn't have motors.

The South Dakota House and Senate just passed a bill two weeks ago limiting the trail to Class 1 e-bikes only. Waiting on the Governor's signature for final approval. The bill's sponsor gives some good reasoning behind the need for the bill in the link here:

https://kbhbradio.com/house-passes-bill-limiting-mickelson-trail-to-class-1-e-bikes/

No disrespect to you or your wife, but personally I hope the bill is signed. The speeds on the trail are becoming dangerously high via Class 3 e-bikes (up to 28mph) and modified/unlocked e-bikes that can go even faster. I was run over by 2 e-bikers two years ago on the trail. They never even stopped to help knowing how fast they were going. I don't know how fast they were going, but way too fast for the conditions. I was able to coast downhill 12 miles to Hill City to an urgent care only to find it closed at 2pm! I had to drive my SUV 30 miles to Rapid City to get the closest help. Very nice people there. Fortunately, my SUV was parked at Hill City or I don't know how I would have made it to Rapid City. (My bike was fixable when I got back home, but at a significant cost.)

Before long someone is going to be seriously injured not just by the speed of e-bikes, but due to the fact that some weigh as much as 70# compared to many trail bikes weighing less than 30#. Being run over by a 200# male on a 70# e-bike at 30mph or more...well, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I think that fact is why the bill was passed in the SD legislature.

I realize many people can only enjoy a trail like the Mickelson with some assist (my wife would be one of them for sure.) I realize e-bikes are the future. My personal experience has me jaded, I guess.

I hope I answered your question without being negative. We'll see if the Gov. signs the bill here shortly. I haven't heard what his/her position is. I know there are a lot of voices on both sides of the issue. If Class 3 bikes are allowed, I'd find other trails to ride. Too dangerous at those speeds, loose gravel, dark tunnels, blind curves, etc.

Mark,
Thank you for your comment. It seems a bit strange to me to outlaw a bike that goes faster than they wish us to go. We don't do the same for Cars. It should be the responsibility of the person on the bike to be safe and ride at, or under a posted limit. There will always be people who break the rules and ruin everyone else's good time. I don't think we should punish the other folks simply because they purchased the wrong bike.

Maybe we should start banning other things that we deem dangerous, like large pickup trucks. They are way too dangerous for pedestrians. Maybe sports cars, they have no need to go that fast. We could ban guns because the people who own them can't be trusted to use them safely. I could go on and on.

My point is they could just post a speed limit and stick to that. Fools will be fools, and that shouldn't dictate the laws of the land.

My friends and I have recumbent bikes. We are all older and I have a disability. My sister‘s lungs are compromised. My bike is a class one, but others are class 2.
Do you know if there will be any exceptions to this law?
We have biked the Mickelson Trail for several years and absolutely love it. One of my friends can’t ride their class two recumbent bikes there we will be out.
I have called several places in pier game Fish and Parks Mickelson Trail office, but no one answers and the other people don’t seem to know

SK, I'm pretty sure speed limits are posted along the trail, but my memory isn't what it used to be, ha-ha. I know they are posted at all the trailheads.

I believe the fees to ride the trail (daily and annual) are supposed to provide for Trail Stewards to help enforce the speed limits and help you out if you need help. But I've never seen a single trail steward yet. Not one. I'm not saying there aren't any, but I've never seen one on all my times on the trail. I know from the time I got run over between Deadwood and Hill City and my coasting into Hill City (about 12 miles) there sure wasn't one to help me.

I think the other issue is that the trail is for horseback riders and hikers, too. Horses get spooked and that causes danger for the horses, their riders, and the bikers. Keeping the speed down mitigates that danger, I presume.

For sure, people like your wife and mine aren't the problem. Actually, they are the ones most in harm's way by the all-too-common excessive speeds. Loose gravel on many parts of the trail also poses risks the faster you go.

Yes, in an ideal world, people would be responsible and look out for the safety of others. We're not there yet.

I haven't heard if the SD Governor has or is going to sign the bill restricting the trail to Class 1 e-bikes. If he does, you could rent a Class 1 bike in Deadwood or Hill City. Or at least you could last year. Good luck whatever you decide.

By the way, you didn't say when you were going. I think Summer Trek is June 20-22 and Trail Trek is September 19-21. I've never signed up for either one of those and I really don't want to be on the trail with hundreds of riders at the same time. But that's just me. Oh yeah, the Sturgis Annual Motorcycle Rally is August 1-10 this year. I was in Rapid City and the Sturgis area once when this was going on. Nice people, but I'm never doing that again! On top of that, hotel rates were insane.

(Sorry for the long answer. Again, be safe!)

Have rode many years, a few "centuries" and long distance bike trips, could in my younger days exceed 26 mph on flat ground for short distances. The "E" bike riders need to ride responsibly, its potential speed should not be a factor. My car has the capability of speeds over 100 mph but I don't drive that way.

"Its (e-bike) potential speed should not be a factor."

Well, using that same logic from North Tonawanda below, why not allow mopeds on the trail? Could we just ask moped riders to "ride responsibly" before someone gets hurt? Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Some of these e-bikes have unlocked speeds well over 30mph. I've seen them. Those riders didn't override the original bike's speed limitations for nothing. They want to go as fast as they can. Unfortunately, most are young healthy adults who really don't need the electrical assistance. But that's a separate topic.

ONLY CLASS 1 LEGAL AS OF MARCH 12th, 2025

I see that the South Dakota governor signed the bill limiting the trail to Class 1 on March 11th. Whether it gets enforced is another question.

https://southdakotasearchlight.com/briefs/rhoden-signs-bills-including-school-cash-mandate-mickelson-trail-e-bike-limitation-911-surcharge/

I agree with Mark. I have bikepacked many bike trails and am glad the governor signed the bill. I don't have an e-bike- I have a me-bike. (I make it go.) I am 76 and an e-bike may be in my future. Almost all e-bikers around here are 20-somethings. Class 1 seems appropriate. Bike trails are not highways!

You are allowed to park at this trailhead overnight but no camping allowed. Do contact the Custer County Sheriff's Office at (605) 673-8146 and inform them you will be leaving a vehicle so they know it is not abandoned.

Sorry meant to have this post linked to the Custer trailhead, did not realize I needed to select the trailhead from the drop down menu

We are looking for a legit service that will drive our minivan from Deadwood and drop it off in Edgemont, for a fee of course.

Thanks in advance

I've ridden 400 miles in four days, with 200 of those 400 miles on gravel.
Is late April or early May to early in the season to ride the Mickelson trail?

Well, personally, I wouldn't try it that early in the season.

March is normally the snowiest month in the Black Hills. The average highs and lows in Deadwood and Hill City even the first week of May are 60 and 30. If there is a lot of show in March, I'm guessing it may not be melted by early May. Even if it is, much of the trail will be sloppy and you won't ride the 100 miles each day as fast as you normally would. If there is still considerable snowpack, you'd probably be walking your bike in some places. Even without snow, riding at 30 degrees early in the morning or late in the day isn't my preference. I'd rather ride at 100 degrees than 30! But that's just me.

The first "Trail Trek" in 2025 isn't until June 20-22. That gives the organizers time to get the trail in order. For this year, I'm planning a late May or early June up and down 2-day trip.

Now, I'm not saying you couldn't or shouldn't try it in late April or early May. I'm just saying the odds are that it would be difficult. Whenever you decide to do the ride, all the best.

P.S. Locals might be able to give you a better answer than I have. But this is what I'd tell anyone I know. Wait until late May or early June to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the trail. You may never pass that way again!