Information
Landmark: Needles HighwayCity: Custer
Country: USA South Dakota
Continent: North America
Needles Highway, Custer, USA South Dakota, North America
Overview
The Needles Highway (Highway 87) twists through the jagged granite spires of Custer State Park in South Dakota, offering one of America’s most spectacular mountain drives where sunlight flickers off the stone, in conjunction with finished in 1922 under Governor Peter Norbeck’s bold plan to create a road that reveals the Black Hills’ beauty, the 14‑mile route winds from Sylvan Lake past the jagged Needles Eye Tunnel, then rolls north toward Legion Lake.The highway got its name from the thin granite towers that shoot up through the forest-narrow, tall, and sharp as needles against the trees, in turn carved by millions of years of wind and rain, these formations rise like a vast cathedral, where pine forests press against sharp ridges of pink and gray rock.Built when cars were still a rare sight on dusty roads, the Needles Highway stands as a stunning feat of early 20th‑century engineering, consequently engineers shaped the road to twist and narrow on purpose, its sharp bends and hairpin turns hugging the land the way a ribbon clings to a hillside.It climbs sharply between walls of jagged rock and slips through two well-known tunnels-the Iron Creek and the Needles Eye-where light flickers across the stone, then the real showpiece is the latter-just 8 feet 4 inches wide and 11 feet 3 inches high, so tight a modern SUV has to inch through, fairly Drivers often pause, inching forward one at a time through the narrow gap, while people at the far end clap and call out as each car makes it through, also the tunnel bursts open to reveal a sweep of rugged peaks dusted with pine, a view so striking it’s one of South Dakota’s most photographed sights, loosely Scenic highlights line the route, turning the drive into a stretch of pure visual drama-cliffs, winding roads, and light flashing off the water as you go, along with at Sylvan Lake, the road starts out easy, curling beside the glassy water and slipping through thick clusters of ponderosa pine.Soon the landscape shifts-granite spires rise at every turn, some jutting so near they scrape a whisper of dust across the car window, not only that at roadside pullouts, the Black Hills stretch wide beneath you, with the Cathedral Spires jutting up like stone fingers and Black Elk Peak shimmering faintly on the far horizon-the tallest summit east of the Rockies.You’ll often spot wildlife out here-bighorn sheep grazing on the rocky slopes and chipmunks flashing across the road like quick little sparks, in addition the Needles Highway opens for visitors in late May and usually stays accessible until mid-October, though lingering snow can delay the start or close the road sooner.The road shuts down in winter, when slick ice turns its curves and tunnels into a menacing maze, furthermore it takes about 45 minutes to drive the whole route without stopping, but most people linger for an hour or two, pausing for photos or a quick hike where the pines open to a view.Perceive it at sunrise or in the late afternoon, when the granite warms to amber and blushes rose under the soft light, also those calm hours make it easy to pull over, breathe in the cool air, and take in the view without a crowd in sight.You’ll find several trailheads starting just off the highway, where the scent of pine drifts through the air and the path invites a good hike, after that the Cathedral Spires Trail winds deep through towering granite, where hikers can brush their hands along the cool stone spires that inspired the road’s name.Oddly enough, Just ahead, the Little Devil’s Tower Trail meets the Black Elk Peak Trail, giving determined hikers a chance to climb toward sweeping views of the Black Hills, where pine needles scent the wind, besides driving the Needles Highway feels like gliding through nature’s own sculpture garden-a winding strip of asphalt tucked between towering spires and the quiet breath of pine needles swaying in the wind.Frankly, Governor Norbeck once said he planned the route “for people willing to take their time,” and his words still ring true as the road curves lazily through pine-scented hills, then even now, with its sharp bends and dim, stone-cut tunnels, the Needles Highway stays unforgettable-part heart-pounding, part serene-capturing the wild, timeless spirit of the Black Hills., not entirely
Author: Tourist Landmarks
Date: 2025-11-01
