A railroad line that ran through the scenic Black Hills for almost a century ceased operation in 1983 when Burlington Northern & Santa Fe, formerly the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, stopped service. The idea of converting the railroad into a multi-use trail arose that same year but was not acted on until 1986. Former Governor George S. Mickelson, for whom the trail is named, played an instrumental role in the Rails-to-Trails project but was killed in a plane crash before its completion. The 109-mile trail winds through the Black Hills on a route featuring converted railroad bridges and imposing rock tunnels, with many places for picnics and interpretive signs about the area's history and geography. Since opening in 1998, it has hosted hundreds of events and given thousands of people a chance to experience the Black Hills, and it later gained national recognition with induction into the National Rails-to-Trails Hall of Fame in 2012 and selection in 2013 as one of the top ten trails in the world by FOX News.