Mickelson Trail Forum

I'll be biking this trail in August 2025. Which is the more scenic route, Mickelson Trail main route or Mickelson with Sugarloaf fantail route?
The extra miles don't matter, we just want the more scenic route.

We’re doing the trail, Edgemont to Deadwood, in a few weeks and planning to camp for 3 nights along the route. We have a tent site reservation at Oreville and are will ride off trail up Castle Peak road to the Castle Peak campground one night. But we need a spot on our first night out of Edgemont.

Looking at Open Street Maps, there appears to be spots on public lands about 5 miles before we get to Pringle. Does anyone have experience finding dispersed camping between in that area?

Thanks!

Anyone have current or anticipated trail conditions for week of 5/5/2025? We are planning on riding on Wednesday, 5/7 and Thursday, 5/8/2025 departing from Deadwood.

Any update here on current trail conditions leaving from Deadwood? Hoping to go on Friday! Thanks!

My son and I will be starting in Deadwood June 8, riding to Hill City, Edgemont, Custer, then returning to Deadwood to camp June 11. Where do people leave their vehicles when they are on the trail?

This was an answer I gave to (I think) the same question last week:

Right next to the Mickelson Trailhead sign in Deadwood at 103 Charles St. you'll find a large parking lot. I parked my SUV there for 4 days in 2023. At least at that time, there was no charge to park there.

There are also 219 free parking spaces at the Deadwood Welcome Center at 501 Main Street. Although they probably fill up fast in the summer.

https://www.cityofdeadwood.com/community/page/welcome-center-parking-lot

Good luck.

Planning to ride from Deadwood to Edgemont and shuttle back over 3-4 days. I seem to remember something about free multiday day/overnight parking at DEadwood but can't locate the post. Any suggestions?

Hi Rick,
Right next to the Mickelson Trailhead sign in Deadwood at 103 Charles St. you'll find a large parking lot. I parked my SUV there for 4 days in 2023. At least at that time, there was no charge to park there.

There are also 219 free parking spaces at the Deadwood Welcome Center at 501 Main Street. Although they probably fill up fast in the summer.

https://www.cityofdeadwood.com/community/page/welcome-center-parking-lot

Good luck.

Thank you for the info.

We are going to ride the trailing a couple weeks. I would like to start at the Red Fern TH
Ride to Deadwood spend the night, then return/bike to our van the next day. Is this doable? Safe? Thoughts... suggestions ??

I don’t know about that trailhead, other than it exists. Seems like it’s very rural which suggests it’s probably fine. Of course like anywhere you do not leave any valuables or any bags visible in a vehicle. That bag might have your dirty underwear, but thieves see a bag that might contain something of value….anyway. I can offer a possible more valuable tip. The Mickelson actually has two different paths in the area of the Kirk trailhead. That path is easy to spot there in Kirk, going southbound. Since you’re going northbound initially it MAY be harder to spot that fork before Sugarloaf. I do know as you reach that fork it will be off to your right and will go downhilll….you may see some sort of overhead conveyor bridge slightly down trail. If you search for Flatiron City on the map and follow that trail south you’ll see that bridge thing and then the fork. I suggest you open google maps, and zoom in to see Kirk, Sugarloaf and Flatiron, then spot both possible routes. Going northbound I suggest taking the Flatiron section in order to ride the two steep but short sections going downhill. Going southbound on day two you should ride the longer but flatter Sugarloaf sections. The Flatiron is noted to be more scenic but those two steep sections might require hike-a-bike two times for a few hundred feet. If I remember correctly the Flatiron section was developed for local trail users as a loop trail by incorporating it into the Mick…..it’s not part of the original railroad. Keep in mind that the Mickelson is already uphill leaving Deadwood for I think 12 miles……rail trails generally aren’t steep, because trains don’t handle uphill very well, but even a slight uphill climb for a cyclist might be a challenge for some riders. I personally rode from Deadwood to Custer including climbing up to Crazy Horse in one day, 66 miles. Day two I rode 45 miles to Edgemont. I have not ridden northbound.
FYI if you like cycling jerseys they’ve got a combination shop jersey/Mickelson trail jersey at Acme Bicycles in Rapid City. Alternatively in Spearfish they have a nice shop jersey with a Black Hills theme at Two Wheeler Dealer. I don’t do spandex, but I do like collecting bike jerseys from places I’ve traveled to and done some sort of memorable bike ride.

There is no parking of any kind at the Red Fern resistor, just restroom, shelter & cistern. Better to leave you vehicle in Hill City, 8 miles south.

Coming to do the entire Mickelson. Might do it round trip, but if we do it one way, we are looking for maybe some other good detours, side rides, etc.

Questions:

- It looks like Rushmore is about a 10 mile detour from the trail on Highway 244, which doesn't look like the most awesome ride around due to traffic and small shoulder. Any other routes to get to Rushmore that are better?

- Any other ideas for rides in the general area. We aren't completely against some hills, but (based on a drive through Custer last year) don't want anything as crazy as the Needles Highway. Thoughts on a 10-50 mile ride that is pretty and not Matterhorn like in its hills?

Thanks!
Dave

You can avoid the main highway for about half the ride from Mickelson to Mt. Rushmore. Here's a short video I put together on this topic, with all the directions and some information that could be handy. I hope it is useful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THClfN7EwQk

Thanks!

Two Dave’s, no waiting! That was a great video, I wish I knew this “safer” route in 2023 when I rode the Mick. I skipped it due to numerous reviews discouraging the practice. It appears Dave found a way to manage the risk. I did some map exploring after watching and figured out how to reduce the miles on Highway 244 from six miles to three miles. Instead of turning off Old Hill City Road onto Palmer Gulch, continue east another three miles until you reach the Centennial Trail. Take the trail one half mile south to the Big Pine Trailhead then you’ll be at Highway 244. Continue three miles to Mt Rushmore.
If you aren’t aware, the Mick goes under the driveway leading up to Crazy Horse. It’s an easy climb/ride up to the monument and museum….they will charge you admission just like a car. They have a bike rack directly across the road from the museum ticket office. A lot of people will be passing the bike rack as they walk from the parking lot, so consider securing anything of value….just in case, but it’s a very visible location.

Really nice YT video from Dave from Sacramento below. Thanks Dave!

I'm glad the video was helpful! When I looked on this forum before doing the ride, I was surprised that nobody had covered the Rushmore side trip option, so I decided to try to fill the void.

When I was mapping it out, I remember seeing the Centennial Trail, but I don't remember why I ruled it out! If it turns out to be a good route, post something here.

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.

Dandy Don, you are correct about that. Almost every e-bike I saw on the Mickelson Trail last year was being ridden by a person well under 30 and probably closer to 20 years old. And in good enough shape not to actually need the electric assist. My local bike shop owner says e-bikes are the first choice of most young people. And they aren't shy about looking at higher-end models.

He predicts that within a decade regular bikes will be about as common as cars with manual transmissions. I find that hard to believe, but I still have (and like) RIM BRAKES on my Trek SL 6. So that shows you how far in the past I am. :)

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.