Officials Explore Trail Possibilities To Mount Rushmore

PIERRE, S.D. – A group of state, federal and nonprofit entities is exploring a possible link between the 114-mile George S. Mickelson Trail and South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

State Park Director Doug Hofer said the Department of Game, Fish and Parks, the USDA Forest Service, the National Park Service and the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society are working cooperatively to develop a feasibility study for the project. The study will identify potential trail routes, as well as potential environmental and engineering challenges. A federal Transportation Enhancement grant was recently awarded to complete the study. The Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society has committed the necessary matching funds.

 “One of the key issues will be identifying potential trail routes,” said Black Hills National Forest Supervisor Craig Bobzien. “This proposal presents a great opportunity, but we will need to give careful consideration to the important values of the Peter Norbeck Wildlife Preserve.”

The link would be an extension of the existing George S. Mickelson Trail which was completed in 1998. The trail spans the entire length of the Black Hills and is open to non-motorized users. If the extension becomes a reality, Mount Rushmore National Memorial Superintendent Gerard Baker said it could also connect with an 8-mile hiking trail system that is proposed at the national memorial.

“The system will provide new opportunities for visitors to experience and learn about the natural and cultural resources of Mount Rushmore National Memorial and its representative central Black Hills landscape,” Baker said.

Hofer said the group is currently seeking a qualified firm to conduct the feasibility study. The group’s goal is to complete the engineering and environmental study in 2008.

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