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Needles Highway - Everything You Need to Know

July 7, 2021

If you’re planning a trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota, driving Needles Highway is a bucket list experience you simply cannot miss!

Just 14 miles long, this scenic drive winds through three narrow tunnels and several hairpin curves lined with pine forests and granite boulders. Named for its towering, pointed rock formations, there are no shortage of stunning and surprising places to pull off and wander or take photographs along the way.

Where is Needles Highway?

Needles Highway is basically US 87 as it cuts through Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota. If you’re staying in Sturgis or Deadwood, Needles Highway is located about an hour south of these popular tourist destinations.

How Long Does it Take to Drive Needles Highway?

As Needles Highway is only 14 miles long, you can most certainly drive all of it in less than an hour. With that said, due to its one-way tunnels, tight turns, and slow driving sightseers it can be a bit slow going. To avoid max traffic congestion, drive Needles Highway in the Spring or Fall.

Is Needles Highway Dangerous?

The biggest danger in driving Needles Highway is through its three one-way tunnels. Determining whether another car is in the tunnel ahead of you is easy. What’s more difficult is gauging whether another car is about to enter the tunnel at the same time as you! The best way to warn other cars of your presence is to turn on your lights before entering the tunnel and go slow.

Does it Cost Money to Drive Needles Highway?

Custer State Park charges $20 per vehicle for a temporary 1-7 day license or $36 for an annual license. Admittedly, this feels a bit steep if you’re just passing through to see the Needles. Thankfully, there are some other really amazing sights in Custer State Park, including Sylvan Lake and its hiking trails.

Hikes around Needles Highway

Don’t just experience Needles Highway from your car window. Get out and hike one of their many trails!

Cathedral Spires - 1.6 miles round trip out and back - 488 ft elevation gain

Little Devil’s Tower Spur Trail - 2.6 miles out and back - 751 ft elevation gain

Sunday Gulch Trail - 3.9 miles round trip loop - 797 ft elevation gain

Black Elk Peak - 7.1 miles round trip loop - 1,469 ft elevation gain

Needles Highway Tunnels

If you’re driving South on US 87, you’ll arrive at the three tunnels in the following order. Be sure to check the dimensions of each to see whether your vehicle will fit!

Hood Tunnel - 10’6’’ Wide X 9’10’’ Tall

Needles Eye Tunnel - 8’4’’ Wide X 11’3” Tall

Iron Creek Tunnel - 9’0 Wide X 11’4’’ Tall

Needles Highway Tunnel Video

I shot this video using my iPhone12 Pro Max while simultaneously navigating the tunnel. It wasn’t too hard to do both, but then there wasn’t much traffic that day either.

For reference, we drive a Honda Element SUV, which we’ve also converted into a car camper for maximum travel savings.

more things to do in the black hills

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Image Credits:

All Needles Highway images and video by Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities, except Cathedral Spires image by ipivorje - stock.adobe.com; Crazy Horse Memorial, Wonderland Cave, and Deadwood images - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Nomad Goods product images courtesy of Nomad Goods; Trail Ridge Road - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; for Pinterest Pin image credits, click on the related pin