Custer State Park

 

Today was a perfect day.  The sun was out and the temp in the 60s.

Started the day with a trip in to Rapid City to find a pair of Black Hills Gold earrings.  Success…got the earrings from the same company that designed my ring.  I am very happy.

Next we headed back out of town toward Custer State Park.  Near Mt. Rushmore, we headed down Iron Mountain Road that leads to Custer.  I really hadn’t heard much about this road but I was blown away by it.  It was designed by Peter Norbeck working closely with Gutzom Borglum, the man who carved Mt. Rushmore.  The result of their combined efforts resulted in a road with several pigtail bridges and 3 tunnels each of which frame the Mt. Rushmore sculpture.

 

We drove the wildlife loop of Custer State Park.  We got there around noon time so we didn’t see as much wild life as I had hoped.

The burros were initially introduced to the park to provide rides to the top of a mountain peak.  When the rides were discontinued, the burros were set free.

We took the Needles Highway back to Hill City.  This was another spectacular road again designed by Peter Norbeck.  The road is named for the many towering, pointed rock columns that look like needles of rock piercing the sky.  The highway slowly climbs in elevation as it winds through narrow tunnels and weaves its way through towering granite spires and ponderosa pine forests.

Well, this concludes our visit to the Black Hills.  The scenery was truly amazing and we had a really great time.  Tomorrow we will start early to head towards Yellowstone.