Enjoying the Views on the Homestake Trail
Did you know that you can walk through the woods all the way from Deadwood to Lead? The Homestake Trail is a moderately easy hike that will take you past historic mines, along an old rail line, and above these two mountain towns. Along the way there are signs with great information about the Open Cut Mine, Homestake Mills, the railroad, Deadwood, and more.
Although it may not be as scenic as some hikes in the Black Hills, this 3.5-mile trail offers an opportunity to experience some of the fascinating history of this area and is a fun way to get out for a walk in the woods while still being close to town. You can enjoy this nice hike and then head to Deadwood for a cold drink and a burger afterwards without working up too much of a sweat.
Because there are trailheads at each end of the trail, you can choose which town you want to start this hike from. Or if you don’t want to walk the entire 7 miles in one go, you could split the hike into two different trips. Start from the Lead end and go halfway one day and then start from the Deadwood end and do the same on another. It’s up to you!
For my first time on this trail, I decided to do the full out and back hike starting from Lead. Be aware, the Lead trailhead can be a little tricky to find. It actually starts at their community dog park. From Highway 85, turn at the skate park onto Washington Street and follow it up to the dog park parking lot, which kind of looks like a basketball court without the hoops. Yes, this is the parking lot! You then have to walk through the dog park and follow the path as it takes you up to the edge of the open cut mine. From there the trail is very well marked and easy to follow.Â
It is such a cool sight to see this giant hole right on the edge of town. That alone is worth the trip, and it is only a few minutes into the hike! There are actually several interesting things to see related to the Homestake Mine within the first half mile or so with several signs providing a lot of great information.Â
From here the trail runs along the outskirts of Lead, taking you past several homes. You will have to cross one road, but after that you will start heading deeper into the woods.Â
The trail itself is one of the better ones I have been on in the Black Hills. It is well maintained, is easy to follow, and has mostly solid footing. There is some uphill climbing early on, but in less than a mile the trail starts to gradually go downhill and really becomes a pleasant walk in the woods. One of the things I usually enjoy about hiking in the Black Hills is how steep many of the trails are and how challenging some hikes can be. But the Homestake Trail felt like a nice change of pace and I liked the more leisurely stroll it offered.
At about the three-mile mark, the trail starts to descend into Deadwood. You can choose to follow it down for the full trip or you can turn back here. I chose to continue on the trail all the way down. As you walk into the outskirts of Deadwood you will begin seeing more houses again and crossing some neighborhoods. Finally, the trail ends at the paved bike path that is the Mickelson Trail. If you follow this path to the left, in a short distance it will take you to the Mickelson Trailhead parking lot. This would be your starting point if you chose to hike the trail from this direction.
Even though the Homestake Trail is a relatively easy hike overall, I will say that the hike back from Deadwood is a little more difficult. The start is a much steeper grade for the first half mile and the walk back to Lead is mostly uphill the entire way. This does make sense since Deadwood sits at a slightly lower elevation than Lead. Overall you will experience an elevation change of about 800 feet. But it is still much less strenuous than most trails in the hills.Â
Going from Lead, it took me a little less than 90 minutes to reach the end. However, I was stopping a lot to enjoy the views and to take photos. The return trip went faster since I wasn’t stopping as much. It took me about an hour to get back. So it was almost 2 ½ hours total for me to hike the entire 7-mile round trip. Be sure to bring plenty of water with you as there are no facilities anywhere along the trail.Â
Give this trail a try on your next visit to Deadwood or Lead. Happy hiking!
