Rochford to Hill City through the Black Hills tunnels

From the trailhead at Rochford the old Chicago, Burlington and Quincy line runs gently downhill through forest and meadow to Mystic, the low point of the day. Beyond Mystic it passes through three rock tunnels and climbs for kilometres to Red Fern, the high point of this stretch, before a long descent into Hill City.

It is 36.0 km (22.4 miles) one way with 251 m of climbing; allow about 2¾ hours of riding. The grade is Moderate. The surface is crushed limestone and gravel. The trail starts at 5,256 ft, drops to 4,862 ft at Mystic, climbs to 5,643 ft at Red Fern and finishes at 5,001 ft in Hill City, so expect to feel the height.

Riders aged 12 and over need a trail pass outside town limits: $5 a day or $20 a year, from the self-registration stations at the trailheads. The trail is closed at night, from half an hour after sunset. Class 1 e-bikes only.

Rochford, Mystic and Hill City trailheads have parking, water, shelter and toilets. Bike shops in Hill City run shuttles to Rochford, so you can leave the car at the end and ride back to it.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.