Driving the Needles Highway

Eye of the Needle

Facebook photos.

View through a tunnel

The Needles Highway is everything I expected and more. On my first visit to South Dakota in the motorhome, we tried to go through the Needles but were turned away because the vehicle was too large to fit through the narrow tunnels.

Phallic rock

The weather was perfect when we started up SD Hwy 87, windows open to the fresh air and scent of pines. Peaks of stone rose up in the distance and the road gradually curved more and more, evidently too challenging for some drivers hogging too much of the road. Bob recalled his last visit on the bike with the boys and wondered aloud about what kind of passenger (a nervous one!) he would be on such a road, with steep cliffs on both sides. He enjoyed the challenge of switchbacks and tunnels, and I was happy with the overload of beauty and photo ops.


The chill in the air was welcome after the desert heat of the previous day. We stopped at various scenic overlooks along the way, wherever we could find a spot to park. Another perfect drive.