Edgemont was established in 1889 with the arrival of the railroad and became a hub for several railroads serving all directions, with a busy railyard that remains active today. The railroad spur to Deadwood begins here and is now the Mickelson Trail, South Dakota's first rail-to-trail conversion, completed in 1998. The trail extends 109 miles through the Black Hills, crossing more than 100 converted railroad bridges and passing through 4 rock tunnels. Its surface is primarily crushed limestone and its grade does not exceed 4 percent.