Cycling Infrastructure -
Rail-Trail
  
 

G. S. Mickelson Trail in Black Hills of Southern Dakota
 
Trail Map - http://www.sdgfp.info/parks/regions/northernhills/mickelsontrail/trailheads.htm
  
Trail Official Web Sites -http://www.sdgfp.info/parks/regions/northernhills/mickelsontrail/index.htm- for description of trail and amenities
  
Updated - This page is under development and the notes may not refer tothe trail at thsitime. Please check back.  

General Comments

 

  
General Impressions This 59 kilometres trail that starts on the north-west corner of Spokane at the 9-Mile Dam, then drops down to downtown Spokane and then runs eastwardly to the state line and then further into Idaho and Coeur d’Alene by a further 38 kilometres. This paved trail has some road sections with bike lanes. It is a well used trail.

 
    The portion west of downtown Spokane would appeal more to confident, strong cyclists who do not get turned off by some significant hill climbing. This portion of the trail would not appeal to families, young cyclists, or those either starting out or thinking of cycling.

 
   

The eastern section of the trail does, very definitely, appeal to the young, the beginners, and the less physically strengthen cyclists, as well as the racer types. You could describe it as basically flat with any hill climbing limited to 10 to 20 metres vertically with 5% or less grades. Most of the trail was just flat. We saw many children using this section of the trail. In some ways the sections further from Spokane were busier with cyclists than close in.

 

  
   

The western section of the trail ran through some interesting pine forest and semi-arid rolling hills. The path tends to be very wide in most places, two lane width. Basically, for most parts the path seems to be a forest fire road with restrictions on usage by cars. There were short sections of shared roadway.

 

  
   

What was very apparent was that this trail was not designed for families, for encouraging people to start cycle, or encourage nervous or hesitant cyclists to get out and improve their skills. The hills were just too steep for that and too long. For racing cyclists it was a good training trail for the next Tour de France. For commuter cyclists it was not effective compared to paralleling roads with their paved shoulders bike lane width.

 

  
  Trail Naming    
       
  Scenery The alignment of the trail allowed for continuous changes in interesting vistas, including the river, the hills, and the distant mountains.  
       
  Safety Features    
       

Trail Infrastructure

 

  
  Trail Alignment    
  Trail Grade    
       
  Access to the Trail - Entrances from Adjacent Roadways    
       
  Trail Width

In the western end, parts of the trail were on shared roads, others on a two-laned closed forest road, and parts on a 4 metres wide path. The pavement surface was in good quality.

 

  
  Trail Surface    
  Trail Pavement Markings    
  Trail Lightening    
  Separation from Motorized Traffic Trail was far enough from neighbouring roads so that the sounds of the birds could be heard, not that of cars.  
  Off-Road Path    
  Bike Lanes    
  Two-Way Bike Lanes on Road – Not Separated    
  Two-Way Bike Lanes on Road – Physically Separated    
  Two-Way Bike Lanes on Road Shoulder – Vertically Not Separated    
  Two-Way Bike Lanes on Road Shoulder – Vertically Separated    
  Intersection Design - Signalized    
  Intersection Design – Not Signalized    
  Trail Bridges    
Trail and Railway Tracks      
  No Physical Separation    
  Physical Separation    
       
Trail Signage      
  Signage – Destination

 

 





    
  Signage – Direction    
  Signage – Information    
  Signage – Warning    
  Signage - Intersection    
  Signage - Grades    
  Signage -    
  Signage Signage, including destination, direction, information, and warning, was plentiful. The question is whether it is visible enough or can be easily missed when cycling by. Caution signs of upcoming steep slopes and visibility issues on curves were plentiful.

 
       
Trail Amenities      
       
  Trail User Facilities

Restroom facilities and car parking trailheads were bountiful.

 
Marketing of the Trail

 
  Communication - Trail Maps    
 

Communication - Trail Web Site

 
Trail and the Local Economy      
  Business and Retailing    
  Food and Drink    
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       

Opportunities for Improvement

 

  
  Trail Grade

For appealing to a more cyclists and for commuter cyclists, there needs to be more sections of very level trail with minimum grade changes.

 
  Food and Drink Places for drinking water were missing along with places for obtaining food.

 
  Signage

Lack of signage on neighbouring roads directing cyclists to the trail.