Needles Highway

Needles Highway (South Dakota State Route 87) was completed in 1922 and snakes through granite towers for 14 miles inside Custer State Park. The historic route features 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 pigtail turns, and 3 narrow granite tunnels deliberately designed by Peter Norbeck to frame views through the natural landscape. Cathedral Spires (designated 1976 as a 637-acre natural area) line much of the route with jagged granite peaks piercing the sky. The road climbs approximately 2,000 feet of elevation through switchbacks and tunnel passages, each tunnel framing Cathedral Spire formations. A.B.A.T.E. rates this as difficulty Level 5. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours with photo stops.