Review & Frequenly Asked Questions:

Needles Highway - Needle’s Eye (SD HWY 87) is a National Scenic Byway in the heart of Custer State Park in the Black Hills, and it appeals to all nature lovers and photographers. The remarkable 14-mile highway winds through some of the most scenic landscape in the park, twisting and turning its way through enormous granite spires (needles).

Be prepared for sharp turns, low tunnels, and amazing views. Your drive along Needles Highway will take you past Sylvan Lake (where you can stop off for a picnic or a swim) and the aptly named Needle’s Eye, an opening in the rock formation caused by centuries of wind, rain, freezing, and thawing. Needles Highway is only open in summer and is meant to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace, so you need to allow enough time (at least an hour) to navigate the 14 miles.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sioux Falls Badlands National Park Mount Rushmore National Monument Rapid City Aberdeen Pierre Mitchell Deadwood Yankton Custer State Park Sylvan Lake Falls Park Iron Mountain Road Black Hills National Forest Needles Highway - Needle’s Eye Spearfish Canyon Jewel Cave National Monument Black Elk Peak (Harney Peak) Wind Cave National Park Fort Pierre National Grassland Missouri National Recreational River Bridal Veils Falls LaFramboise Island Nature Area Roy Lake State Park Richmond Lake Recreation Area

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