of train wreckages that are easily spotted just off the trail path. The first appears in Mineola where in 2011 several train cars tumbled down the embankment to the left of the trail. The second is located just past Silver Creek outside of Malvern where a derailment in 1960 left the remains of ruined boxcars lying in the riverbed. Heading south, the route passes though the towns of Shenandoah, Coin, and Blanchard—where the trail concludes at the Missouri border.
Hickok and Calamity Jane—buried side-by-side at Mount Mariah Cemetery.
From Hill City south through Custer, the trail passes close to some of the state’s most renowned attractions including the Crazy Horse Monument, a massive granite carving, still under construction, of the famed Oglala Lakota warrior who took down George Custer’s U.S. 7th Calvary in the historic 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn. Iconic Mount Rushmore is nearby as well, located six miles east of the trail where it passes through Hill City. Also worth a side trip is Wind Caves National Park, just east of the town of Pringle. One of the world’s longest and most complex caves, it is a remarkable underground world of delicate calcite formations. Another off-trail site that merits a visit is Custer State Park, reached from the town of Custer via a 3.2-mile paved link. Noted for its huge herd of bison, this is definitely the place where buffalo roams. There’s also a replica of a log fortress built during the 1874 gold rush and a grand total of nine campgrounds. No worries about a place to set up your tent here. The trail also boasts a variety of rental cottages and cabins, plus there are a number of trailside campgrounds and motels in towns along the route. South of Pringle the trail passes through Argyle, a place that can only be described as a wide spot in the road, and about 19 miles later arrives in Edgemont, a somewhat larger outpost best known.as the southern endpoint of the George S. Mickelson Trail.
www.traillink.com/trail/wabash-trace-nature-trail/
George S. Mickelson Trail, South Dakota There’s much more to know about South Dakota besides Mount Rushmore—and you can discover much of the Sunshine State’s natural wonders, gold rush history, and friendly residents by taking on the 109-mile George S. Mickelson Trail from Deadwood to Edgemont. Named in honor of the former South Dakota governor who crusaded for the trail prior to his death in a plane crash in 1993, the Mickelson Trail travels through a constantly changing landscape, progressing through historic mining towns, mountains, ponderosa pine forests, flowering meadows, and open prairies roamed by bison, elk, and other wildlife. Most of the route falls within the bounds of Back Hills National Forest. The crushed stone pathway occupies the bed of the former Burlington Northern High Line, built in 1890 and incorporates nearly 100 converted railroad bridges and four tunnels. While it took little more than a year to build the original rail line, it took 15 years to cut through the red tape to get approval and funding for the trail—plus plenty of prodding and elbow grease by the Black Hills Rails to Trails Association and local trail boosters to get it built and finally dedicated in 1998. The trail begins with a steep 16-mile climb from the legendary gold-mining town of Deadwood (elevation 4,715 feet) to Dumont, the highest point on the route at 6,161 feet. It is a leg-straining start, but don’t let it discourage you because the rest of the trail rarely exceeds a 4% grade. Before you depart Deadwood, you’ll likely be attracted to the town’s top attraction, the gravesites of two of the Wild West’s most infamous characters—Wild Bill
www.traillink.com/trail/george-s-mickelson-trail/
George S. Mickelson Trail, credit Russ Tiensvold
RAILS TO TRAILS
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SUMMER 2025 | 17
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