RVs and Buses Are Banned From This South Dakota Highway Because the Rock Tunnels Are Too Narrow

Needles Highway, South Dakota

Needles Highway shouldn’t exist. The granite spires are too close together, the gaps too narrow, the whole thing too insane.

Yet there it sits in the Black Hills, 14 miles of road carved through ancient rock formations. Here’s how it came to be.

The Not-So-Impossible Road

Engineers told Peter Norbeck this route couldn’t be built. They were wrong. By 1922, workers completed what’s now part of the 68-mile Norbeck Scenic Byway.

One Man’s Vision

Peter Norbeck wasn’t just talking when he proposed a road through solid granite. South Dakota’s governor walked and rode every mile of his planned route.

Engineers laughed. His chief engineer Scovell Johnson simply said they’d need “enough dynamite” to blast through.

Construction crews started in 1920, finishing just two years later. Locals mockingly called it the “Needless Highway” at first, but soon tourists flocked to this marvel that Norbeck designed to showcase nature without scarring it.

Two Billion Years Old Formations

You’re seeing two billion years of Earth’s history when you drive through Needles Highway’s spires, which are some North America’s oldest exposed rocks.

A massive upheaval 65-70 million years ago pushed up mountains topping 15,000 feet. Wind, rain, freezing and thawing slowly whittled them down to today’s dramatic shapes.

The stone itself tells stories. Sparkling crystals of feldspar, mica, and quartz catch sunlight, revealing the slow-cooling magma that formed this granite long before dinosaurs walked Earth.

Spires That Were Almost Mount Rushmore

These spires were almost famous for a totally different reason. When planning Mount Rushmore, sculptor Gutzon Borglum first eyed these formations for his presidential carvings.

After testing, he rejected the site. The granite quality proved too poor, the spires too thin to hold massive sculptures.

A Hole Cut By Nature’s Patience

The Needle’s Eye takes you through a hole carved through solid granite.

No dynamite created this opening. Over millions of years, wind, rain, freezing and thawing patiently sculpted this eye-shaped portal that gave the highway its name.

Three Tunnels Blasted Through Mountains

The Needle’s Eye Tunnel measures just 8 feet wide by 9 feet 9 inches high, barely wider than most cars. Iron Creek Tunnel and Hood Tunnel complete the trio of remarkable passages.

Check your vehicle size before attempting passage because many modern RVs and trucks simply won’t fit.

Rock Climbers Tackling Vertical Walls

Look up while driving Needles Highway and you might spot climbers clinging to these granite faces.

The climbing history began in 1936 when Fritz Wiessner first conquered the Totem Pole formation. A year later, he returned with Bill House and Lawrence Coveney to scale Khayyam Spire.

The granite offers perfect climbing, because they’re rough enough for good grip, with plenty of cracks for secure hand and foot holds.

A Lake Perched Among Granite Giants

Sylvan Lake crowns the northern end of Needles Highway at 6,145 feet elevation. Even Frank Lloyd Wright fell for this spot, personally selecting it for Sylvan Lake Lodge.

Built in 1938, the stone and timber lodge keeps many original features. From the lake, trails branch out toward Cathedral Spires and other formations.

Walk Through a Forest of Stone

Cathedral Spires Trail’s 1.5-mile path isn’t overly difficult, but rocky sections demand good footwear.

You get to climb through forests and around granite outcroppings as views improve with every step. At certain points, spires surround you completely.

Ambitious hikers push on to Black Elk Peak. At 7,242 feet, it’s the highest point between the Rockies and France’s Pyrenees, offering unmatched views of the entire Black Hills.

Driving the Needles Highway

South Dakota Highway 87 cuts through Custer State Park. Park entrance costs $25 per vehicle for 7 days, open year-round except winter closures (typically April-October for Needles Highway).

The 14-mile scenic drive takes 45-60 minutes but allow half a day for stops, and you can start at either Sylvan Lake or Legion Lake areas.

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