Mickelson Trail Bike Tour

Meet in Rapid City in the morning. Shuttle to the start of the Mickelson Trail in Edgemont – a town created by the railroads in the 1890s as a connection point for their extension into the Black Hills. After a quick bike fitting we ride the first leg of the trail to the tiny town of Pringle (pop. 112). Return to the Red Rock River Resort in Hot Springs tonight, with time for a soak before walking to a privately hosted al fresco dinner at Silk Road.

Our first (van) stop is in Hot Springs at The Mammoth Site, an active paleontological dig where we pay a visit to the fossils of 61 woolly mammoths from the Ice Age. From there, we shuttle to Wind Cave NP, one of the longest and most complex caves in the world. The Lakota (Sioux), who live in the region, spoke of a hole that blew air, a place they consider sacred as the site where they first emerged from the underworld. In 1881, brothers Tom and Jesse Bingham heard wind rushing out from a 10-inch hole in the ground. According to the story, when Tom looked into the hole, the “wind” (exiting cave air) blew his hat off of his head. A mining company purchased the land but when it turned up no valuable mineral deposits the project turned to tourism. This was the first cave in the world to be designated a national park. We shuttle through the park, spend some time at the visitor’s center and view the Bingham’s original cave opening. NOTE: There is not time to do the cave tour. From there we continue cycling on the Mickelson Trail from Pringle to Legion Lake Lodge for the night.

This morning, ride the car-free trail to Crazy Horse Memorial, the world’s largest mountain carving. Lakota leader Crazy Horse led a war party to victory against Federal Government troops at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. This fascinating memorial has been under construction since 1948 and receives no government funding. It’s so large that if Mt. Rushmore could be moved, it would fit inside Crazy Horse’s shoulder! Ride onward to Hill City. Hop in the van for the transfer up the hill to Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Sylvan Lake Lodge – Custer State Park’s ‘Crown Jewel’ and our home for the next two nights. Dinner is on your own tonight.

Hike Black Elk Peak this morning. At 7,242 feet, Black Elk Peak is the highest point in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Standing sentinel over the Black Hills, Black Elk Peak is topped by a stone fire tower that provides a magnificent view of the surrounding landscape. This afternoon, explore Mt. Rushmore National Memorial. Gaze in awe at the 60-foot sculptures of four United States presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Lunch is on your own today.

Ride from Hill City, the first settlement established in conjunction with the discovery of Black Hills gold in French Creek, to tiny Rochford (pop. 26), home to the Montezuma Mine, the Moonshine Gulch Saloon and the ‘Small of America.’ After lunch, you have a difficult choice! You can keep riding and finish the entire trail end-to-end, or take the van onward to Deadwood for more time to explore the onetime home of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Stay at the Holiday Inn Express Gold Dust in Deadwood tonight.

Enjoy a leisurely ride through Spearfish Canyon this morning. Older than the Grand Canyon, the spectacular 1000-foot walls and limestone palisades of this creek-carved gorge offer some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Black Hills. Finish riding at the city park in Spearfish where we’ll celebrate the completion of the tour with lunch before returning to Rapid City in the afternoon.

*Bicycle Adventures operates under special use permits while on Federal Lands managed by the National Forest Service (USDA), National Parks and Bureau of Land Management. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination: write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.