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Registration Still Open for Miles City-to-Deadwood Trail Ride

Participants can ride with saddle horses, wagons

DEADWOOD (8/16/2010) - Horse lovers and history buffs throughout Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota can still register to participate in a historic event that will retrace the old Miles City to Deadwood Trial. The 200-mile adventure will leave Miles City, MT, on Friday, Aug. 20, and arrive in Deadwood on Saturday, Sept. 4, with three scheduled rest days in between.

The Historic Miles City-to-Deadwood Trail Ride is open to participants using horses, mules and wagons. Participants can expect to travel 15-20 miles in eight to 10 hours each day by horseback or wagon. Deadwood is hosting a citywide celebration to mark the event when the riders arrive in town. Riders can sign on to ride for the entire distance, or choose individual days to participate. Registration is currently open for the ride.

Ride organizers hope to promote the heritage of the West, and to have the Miles City to Deadwood Trail included as a National Historic Trail.

"This trail is full of history, and the ride will be an adventure and a hands-on, colorful lesson for all participants," said committee co-chairman Michael Greslin. "The ride will cover unique terrain, with most areas unchanged since the trail's inception. Riders will definitely enjoy this trail and play a role in keeping history alive."

Yellowstone Kelly mapped the trail from Fort Keogh (Miles City) to Deadwood as a telegraph line in 1878, just two years after the rough-and-tumble Deadwood Gulch mining camp was established. Until about 1887, the trail served as a tri-weekly mail and freight route through the wilderness. Calamity Jane, who spent time in both Miles City and Deadwood, is among the noteworthy figures believed to have traveled the trail.

Overnight stops in Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota communities along the trail will include programs, entertainment and celebrations. Rider fees cover these events, as well as water for animals, portable toilets, transportation to and from evening camps, commemorative keepsakes, the trail's end celebration in Deadwood and more.

Proceeds from this ride go to raise funds for the Days Of '76 Museum in Deadwood. Registration forms are available by calling the Deadwood Chamber at 1-800-999-1876, emailing the Chamber at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or by CLICKING HERE.

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CONTACT:
Michael Greslin, Trail Ride Committee
(605) 787-5501
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ADDITIONAL CONTACT:
Lee Harstad, Deadwood Chamber of Commerce
1-800-999-1876
Cell: (605) 920-0537
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