Karla's Blog

August 4, 2021

We were told by some folks we met at Devils Tower that we really needed to see Needles while in the Black Hills. We were thinking it was a little town but, come to find out, it’s actually the natural landscape along the Needles Highway which, together with Iron Mountain Road and the Wildlife Loop, are known as the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, and all of this is within Custer State Park. I think I can safely say that, for me, Custer is the most amazing and unusual State Park I’ve ever seen.

Iron Mountain Road consists of:

17 miles 

314 curves

14 hairpin turns

3 pigtails (link)

3 tunnels

The Needles were spectacular and the name is kind of self explanatory don’t you think?

Then there are the tunnels . . .

And . . . here’s the really cool thing. If you go through the tunnels from the right direction, there’s something to see through them. Zoom in on the pic below and look in the distance to see the surprise! Crazy amazing right? The tunnels were engineered this way! 

After doing Iron Mountain Road and the Needles, we stopped at Sylvan Lake which is also within Custer State Park and OMGosh!!! Talk about a beautiful and interesting place!!!

Larry said “I think this is the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen!” It was quite amazing and quite popular. Custer State Park is a place we will not soon forget, if ever!

To be continued . . .