SPEARFISH, S.D. (AP) - A popular trail just outside of Spearfish is close to being officially included in the Black Hills National Forest trails system.
The 46-mile Tinton Trail is used by mountain bikers, hikers, trail runners and horse riders. Around 11 miles of the Tinton Trail overlap with existing system trails at Big Hill, Rimrock, and Old Baldy.
The Forest Service issued a scoping notice Feb. 4, starting a mandatory 30-day public comment period, the Black Hills Pioneer reported.
The trail would not require significant maintenance since it is already well established, according to the Forest Service’s scoping study. Some reroutes would be required to address resource or security concerns.
Perry Jewett, a member of the Ridge Riders mountain bike group that helped establish trails around the Black Hills, was one of the early riders who developed the trail. Jewett worked for the Forest Service in 1995 and was looking for trails leading into the forest that were also near town.
“I heard about a proposal for a trail that followed the western rim of (Spearfish) Canyon,” Jewett said. “I found documents they never pursued. It was basically a line of the map that encouraged me to look for a trail.”
He said with the assistance of the Ridge Riders and associates, they finally located a link.
“From there it snowballed taking it up to the rim of the Canyon, linking up to different Forest Service systems,” Jewett said.
He said Spearfish has been a premier destination for mountain bikers.
Spearfish and its surrounding trails have been featured in national mountain bike magazines and draw people from across the country.
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Information from: Black Hills Pioneer, http://www.bhpioneer.com
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