South Dakota Parks and Recreation Director Doug Hofer says planning is under way to connect the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills to Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

The Mickelson Trail…named after the late Gov. George Mickelson, killed 20 years ago in a plane crash…now reaches the historic gambling town of Deadwood, the Crazy Horse mountain carving, and Custer State Park…and Hofer says it’s time to make it to Mount Rushmore.

The South Dakota Legislature this year approved $500,000 for an environmental impact study for a proposed spur that would run from the existing hiking and biking trail at Hill City to Mount Rushmore.

Hofer says the environmental study will take up to two years to complete with the trail itself estimated to cost $8-million dollars.