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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