Lead Trailhead | Black Hills & Badlands - South Dakota

Lead Trailhead

  • Lead Trailhead
Trail Difficulty: 
Moderate
Trail Length: 
0.8 Mile

This park is located on Hearst Avenue on the west side of Lead and serves as the Lead Trailhead for the Mickelson Trail (the 0.8 mile spur leads to the main trail near Sugarloaf trailhead). This small park features a parking lot, covered picnic table, restroom, trail pass station, and historic mining displays. The trailhead is a short walk from downtown Lead.

Lead was once home to the Homestake Mining Company, the best producing and deepest gold mine in North America from 1876 to 2002 when it closed. Operations included both an open cut and an underground mine over 8,000 feet below the surface. Stop in at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center to learn about the history and how the mine is being used today for ground-breaking science research!

Mile Post: 103.7

Directions: 

Located at 620 Hearst Avenue on the west side of Lead. Look for the displays of historic mining equipment.