South Dakota Vacation Guide 2011 - (Page 160)
black hills, badlands & lakes region
Nature is a colorful showcase of forests, lakes and
mountain scenery along the Mickelson Trail.
entrepreneurs had the
foresight to build their
lines through some of the
Black Hills’ most diverse
and beautiful landscapes?
Of course, it is likely
they were just trying to get
from Point A to Point B by
the easiest path possible,
but when it’s Black Hills
landscapes you are working
with, almost any path
will lead you through a
wondrous world of nature
ranging from fl ower-fi lled
meadows to craggy granite
cliffs.
Mickelson Trail highlights best of Black Hills
H
ow is it that the
area’s early railway
Luckily, those hardy pioneers
did most of the hard
work in the late 1880s of
establishing the transportation
routes that eventually
were transformed into
the Rails to Trails byways
that attract thousands of
visitors and outdoor enthusiasts
to the Hills each
year. Interest in a rails-totrails
project started when
the Burlington Northern
Railroad abandoned its
historic Black Hills high
line in 1983. In September
1998, with government
support and lots of volunteer
work, the entire trail
was completed and offi cially
dedicated as the George
S. Mickelson Trail, named
in memory of the South
Dakota governor who supported
its beginnings.
Stretching 109 miles
from Deadwood in the
north to Edgemont in the
southwest, the Mickelson
Trail is becoming known
far and wide for the highquality
bicycling it offers.
With a surface of
primarily crushed limestone
and gravel, the trail
currently has 14 trailheads
which all offer parking,
self-sale trail pass stations
($3 daily or $15 annual),
vault toilets, and tables.
Most of the grades are
gradual and gentle, with
none exceeding 4 percent.
Portions of the trail are
considered strenuous.
The trail is about 10
feet wide and traverses the
full range of what nature
in the Black Hills has to
offer: prairie, mountains,
aspen lined creeks, pine
forests, high country
meadows and the wildlife
that lives in each of these
diverse ecosystems.
Many of the old railroad
trestles, about 100 of them,
160
http://www.newtonforkranch.com
http://www.newtonforkranch.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of South Dakota Vacation Guide 2011
South Dakota Vacation Guide 2011
Contents
Overview
Getting Here, Getting Around
Information Centers
State Facts
Tourism Regions
Places of Interest
Public Campgrounds and Recreation Areas
Vacation Ideas
Southeast Region: A slice of South Dakota charm
Glacial Lakes & Prairies Region: Stories from the frontier
Great Lakes Region: Land of the mighty Missouri
Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Region: Enchanting mountain getaway
Black Hills map
Index
South Dakota Vacation Guide 2011
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