Pick your trailhead by working backward from the ride you actually want. The Mickelson Trail runs about 109 miles between Deadwood and Edgemont, with roughly fifteen access points along the way, and each one puts a different kind of day in front of you. If you're renting from us, Hill City makes the most sense, because our shop sits a few steps from the trail corridor and you pedal out from here instead of hauling anything on a hitch rack. Hill City also sits near the middle of the route, so you can go north toward Mystic and Rochford or south toward Custer without repositioning a vehicle.

How far can you get in a day?

On an e-bike, more than most people expect. A comfortable out-and-back from town is 20 to 30 miles total, which is easily done in a morning and half an afternoon with a lunch stop. Riders who want a bigger day can run north to Rochford, get a burger, and turn around, which lands somewhere near 45 miles. Pedal assist is what makes those numbers reasonable for people who don't ride all year. That's also why most of our electric bike rentals in South Dakota go out to visitors in their sixties, seventies and up, and to families where the grandkids and grandparents want to stay in the same group.

Should you head north or south?

North from town is the shadier, quieter direction. You climb gently along Spring Creek toward Mystic, about a dozen miles, on old railroad grade that never gets steeper than a few percent. Mystic is an old townsite with vault toilets and shade, and it's a good turnaround point. South toward Custer is about fifteen miles, more open, with meadows and ponderosa and views out toward the Crazy Horse area. If wind is up, we'll usually suggest riding into it on the way out.

What about the tunnels and the steep sections?

The four rock tunnels and the most dramatic trestles are up on the Deadwood end, above Dumont. That stretch is beautiful and worth a separate day, but it's also the one with the sustained grade, and it's a drive from here. If tunnels are on your list, plan a shuttle day rather than trying to reach them from a Hill City start.

When do the leaves change?

Late September into the first half of October is usually the window in the central Hills, with the aspen and birch along the creek bottoms turning gold while the pines stay dark green. Mornings run cold at this elevation, around 4,900 feet in town, so bring a layer you can shed by ten. Fall is the busiest season for Black Hills e-bike tours and group rides, and it's when we see the most riders meeting up here to ride the same stretch together.

Do you need a trail pass?

Yes — riders twelve and older need a Mickelson Trail pass, sold as a daily or annual pass, and self-service kiosks sit at the trailheads. Ask us when you check out your bike and we'll point you to the closest one so you're not backtracking.

Where do you stay?

We have lodging on site, which is the part people tend to appreciate most on day two. You finish a ride, park the bike, and you're already where you're sleeping. Trailside lodging in Hill City also means you can split a longer trip into two easy days instead of one long one, and shops, food and the 1880 Train are all within walking distance downtown. Mount Rushmore is a short drive east if you want a non-riding afternoon.

If you're still deciding, send us the length of ride you have in mind and who's coming, and Heather can tell you which direction out of town fits it. That conversation takes two minutes and saves a lot of guessing at the trailhead.