South Dakota
A Cycling Journey: The Black Hills & the Mickelson Trail
Program No. 23723RJ
Cycle along an abandoned railroad line through the beautiful Black Hills, as you conquer the 109 miles of the Mickelson Trail. Learn about geology and human history along the way.
Participant Reviews
Based on 26 Reviews
SHOWING
Fun trip with amazing leaders. The Mickelson Trail is a gem in the jewels of the Black Hills.
— Review left September 1, 2025
This trip was amazing. Highly recommend it. The leaders were great and the people on our tour were amazing.
— Review left August 29, 2025
If I had to describe RS in a few short words it would be stepping outside your comfort zone. I did it at almost 79...and soon realized there were others just like me. There is always something new to learn and enjoy...people, places and things...........chris ebel-charleston, sC
— Review left June 21, 2025
It was a fantastic trip! The group leaders were enthusiastic, welcoming, and very knowledgeable about the areas we visited. The trail itself was strenuous at times. Following the advice from Road Scholar of physically preparing for the bike ride (saddle time and leg strength) ahead of time made the bike ride more enjoyable (even for the e-bike riders).
— Review left June 20, 2025
This was my first Road Scholar trip. I was most impressed by our Group Leader and the meticulously planned trip. I have been on most of the premier rail trails in the US and this was the best!
— Review left June 20, 2025
Trip was challenging but fun and guides Bruce and Tass were exceptional.
Would suggest warning people that the limestone trail can be
difficult with very challenging downhill sections.
— Review left September 14, 2024
Lovely scenery and wonderful cycling trail.
— Review left September 14, 2024
Excellent trip in a beautiful part of the country. Highly recommend!!!
— Review left September 9, 2024
You will enjoy this program if you love biking in beautiful scenery and close to several national monuments.
— Review left August 31, 2024
Awesome trip! Met my expectations and was a beautiful ride
— Review left August 22, 2024
An amazing experience, both in terms of cycling & touring/learning. Be aware that the Mickelson Trail is a demanding mountain biking trail- a lot different than road biking. Make sure that you're in great shape & train for this ride.
— Review left July 2, 2024
We enjoyed bike riding on the Mickelson Trail. This was a challenging ride, yet, we enjoyed sharing the experience with others. David and Tass made the ride more interesting with their knowledge of geology and historical events and features. We would highly recommend this program to friends.
— Review left September 16, 2023
Mickelson Trail trip was the best. It was a challenge every day to ride the trail. By the end I had conquered the elevation and riding up to enjoy the fun downhills. All the tour leaders, bus driver and bike rental people were super. The educational portions were interesting and informative. Our group was the best.
— Review left September 16, 2023
This program was a great way to experience part of South Dakota - bicycling the Mickelson Trail and having wonderful experiences at Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore. I highly recommend it. The bicycling part was challenging since I live in a flat area at sea level without significant hills. The Mickelson Trail has inclines that extend 10+ miles and elevation ranging from 3500-6500 feet above sea level. I was glad for every mile of preparation I did.
— Review left September 13, 2023
I highly recommend the Black Hills and Mickelson adventure. It's the right mix of physical activity, education, and the beauty in nature.
— Review left September 6, 2023
Great program. The Mickelson trail is absolutely spectacular and I made some new friends!
— Review left September 2, 2023
Please update the technology of the "Trip Discussion" feature. It would be convenient to get to know fellow participants before a trip...but there is no notification when someone replies and there was minimal participation.
— Review left September 2, 2023
This was a wonderful program. One of the best Rail-Trails I have ever ridden.
— Review left June 24, 2023
This was an exhilarating and challenging trip. The cycling is really a challenge, with long uphill sections on a crushed stone trail. But the leaders and support make the accomplishment worth the effort.
The side trips are everything that was expected and more. As with all the other Road Scholar trips I’ve taken, it was well planned and enjoyable.
— Review left June 16, 2023
The ride was very challenging due to the length of the climbs even though the grades were fairly gentle. The quality of the tours of the monuments and dig sites was exceptional. It added immensely to see things you may have never seen before in person. Very inspiring.
— Review left June 10, 2023
Hi. I recently completed the Mickelson Trail and Blackhills adventure in September 2022. It was a great experience - both from a physical and educational standpoint. I recommend this activity if you cycle regularly. I also recommend that you use the bicycles provided by Matt for this experience.The quality of the bicycles provided is appropriate for the terrain. I wouldn’t feel the need to transport my own bicycle again. Happy cycling!
— Review left September 26, 2022
The Mickleson Trail is more of a challenge than I anticipated because of the altitude and gravel. I appreciated the warning to prepare by biking 30 miles 3 X a week!
— Review left September 20, 2022
This was my fourth Road Scholar bike trip, all rated as Outdoor:Spirited. This one was actually Outdoor:Challenging. Only 6 of 23 rode the entire 109 miles as riding on crushed limestone was much more difficult than we imagined. I wish the description had made that clear!
Seeing the monuments, and especially the museum, was amazing! As was Stephen Yellowhawk! Janet, our leader, was wonderful - as were Matt and Megan (who provided the bikes).
A terrific trip, just way more taxing physically than the program was rated.
— Review left July 3, 2022
I enjoyed the challenge of biking the whole trail. Two of the accommodations were excellent and the bike shop owner was very helpful. Only 6 out of 23 people made the "whole" trip; many using the sag wagon. For that reason the trip should be classified as "Challenging". It's not like biking in your neighborhood folks and the the bike fit won't be perfect. You have to adjust.
— Review left June 11, 2022
The Mickelson Trail program was amazing! Great ride with new friends, and the educational events were phenomenal! Thank you, Road Scholar, for the new memory burn :)
— Review left September 21, 2021
The Mickelson is an outstanding rail trail. I thoroughly enjoyed riding it with Road Scholar.
— Review left September 20, 2021