Needles Highway

Needles Highway is an outdoor activity in Custer, SD, part of the Black Hills guide. Cost: $25 to $50. Closes to vehicles with the first snow of the season and reopens April 1 or later depending on conditions.

SD Highway 87 in Custer State Park, between Sylvan Lake and Legion Lake · Custer, SD

Why you should go…

The Needles Highway is a 14-mile stretch of SD 87 inside Custer State Park, laid out by Governor Peter Norbeck on foot and horseback and finished in 1922. You wind through ponderosa pine and Black Hills spruce forest, meadows ringed with birch and aspen, and rugged granite spires. The Needles Eye Tunnel is only 8 feet wide and 9 feet 9 inches high, so check your vehicle size before you go.

#scenic drive
#black hills
#custer state park
#granite spires
#tunnels

What's around here?

The closest stops to Needles Highway, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Black Elk Peak
$25–$50
Climb to South Dakota's highest summit, topped by a 1930s stone fire tower with views across the Black Hills.
1.8 mi awayMore like this
Stay
Family Favorite
Mount Rushmore KOA Resort at Palmer Gulch
$50+
A KOA campground and lodge near Mount Rushmore with cabins, RV sites, pools and Black Hills activities.
4.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay
Tours
Outdoor Adventure
Black Hills Aerial Adventures
$50+
Take a helicopter tour over the Black Hills for aerial views of Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Custer State Park.
4.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
Stay
Outdoor Adventure
Custer's Gulch RV Park and Campground
$50+
A Black Hills RV park and campground near the west entrance of Custer State Park, with full-hookup sites and cabins.
5.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Black Hills Balloons
$50+
Sunrise hot air balloon flights over Custer State Park and the southern Black Hills.
5.7 mi awayMore like this
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Black Hills Wilderness Edge
$50+
ATV and UTV rental outfitter for guided backcountry trail riding near Keystone, South Dakota.
6.2 mi awayMore like this