Horse Trail at
Harlan: Peckerneck Horse
Trail is a well marked, privately maintained, free
trail on the south of the lake. It is easily
accessible from Alma Vista (turn east into unpaved
parking lot immediately south of the Alma bridge on
Hwy 183). For more information on this trail, call
(308) 928-3120.
Origin of the name:
Legend has it that a group of
raw-boned hillbillies from Tennessee came to a
mining district of South Dakata in the 1880's. These
men were adept at running the hammers and steels
used to drill holes in the mine face for blasting
powder, a sound resembling that of a woodpecker.
Other miners claimed that only a man with the
strength and agility equaling that of the neck of a
woodpecker could accomplish such a task. They were
given the name "peckernecks." In 1998 a group of
trail-riders from Nebraska were riding in the mine
area and a member of the group, explaining the
story, jokingly called it the Peckerneck Mine.
Around the campfire that evening, the "Peckerneck
Mining Company" was formed with those present being
the "board members". In 2000 when the riding trail
was re-established at Harlan Lake, a couple of the
"board members" were present and felt it was only
natural to continue the name.
