Needles Highway

The highlight of this drive are the Needles, a series of striking granite rock formations.

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Needles Highway Details

This 14-mile stretch of Highway 87 began with former South Dakota Senator Peter Norbeck, who encouraged construction of the scenic road and mapped out the route on foot and horseback. The highlight of this scenic drive are the Needles, a series of striking granite rock formations that rise, thin and tall like needles, from the forest floor. One of the needles, called Needles Eye, has a thin hole carved by rain, wind, and years of continual freezing and thawing. The Needles are a popular rock-climbing destination, and you may be able to see climbers ascending the granite spires. The road was completed in 1922, but its steep climbs, tight curves, and narrow tunnels (no more than 12 feet high and 10 feet wide) continue to amaze people. The drive begins in Custer State Park, off of Highway 16a, and ends just outside the Black Elk Wilderness, at an intersection with Highway 244. Expect the complete drive to take about an hour.

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