Welcome to The Needles, in the central section of the Black Hills of South Dakota...
Aptly named, these craggy spires provide endless creative scenes and opportunities to explore, and the famed Needles Highway is a must-see for visitors. Of course, you can imagine with 'tourist season' in full swing it can be a crowded madhouse, especially around the famed Sturgis Rally in early August...and being just 45 minutes from Rapid City makes it accessible to many.
Not only are the spires needle-like in appearance, but at the crest is a veritable Needle's Eye (above) that is the basis for the naming of this section of the Black Hills...
Believe it or not, tour buses negotiate this tunnel beside "The Needle Eye" with only mere inches to spare; if you are going to have a traffic back-up of significant proportions, it will be at this point, though parking before and after the tunnel will give you time to do some exploring on your own, should you so desire...
Otherwise, stunning vistas await you at every turn along this very windy highway that is technically only 14 miles long (also known as SR 87 on maps).
Along this highway you'll also encounter 3 unique 'pigtail' bridges (not pictured), with tunnels at the top end that, depending on the direction you are driving, frame nearby Mt. Rushmore for a neat picture (below).
I happened to have first driven it in mid-October, long after tourists were gone yet the temperatures still a warm mid-70s for incredible spectacles largely to myself. For good reason, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven, as the old adage goes...
Some people are really in tune with beach areas, and the ocean...others love being around lakes...I'm one that prefers mountains and large rock outcroppings to be 'in touch' with my Inner Stirrings, and The Needles certainly filled that niche for me...
There are certainly other natural attractions very close by...from Sylvan Lake... to the before-featured "He Wakinyan Hohpi" (Harney Peak) area... to the Norbeck Scenic Highway and Iron Mountain... and so much more, which will be the subject of future Travelogues down the road...
Remember to click on any picture to have it enlarge...some make for great computer wallpaper. Thanks for joining me once again for my weekly Thursday adventure on "Bob's Blah-Blah Blog Travelogue"!!!
Aptly named, these craggy spires provide endless creative scenes and opportunities to explore, and the famed Needles Highway is a must-see for visitors. Of course, you can imagine with 'tourist season' in full swing it can be a crowded madhouse, especially around the famed Sturgis Rally in early August...and being just 45 minutes from Rapid City makes it accessible to many.
Not only are the spires needle-like in appearance, but at the crest is a veritable Needle's Eye (above) that is the basis for the naming of this section of the Black Hills...
Believe it or not, tour buses negotiate this tunnel beside "The Needle Eye" with only mere inches to spare; if you are going to have a traffic back-up of significant proportions, it will be at this point, though parking before and after the tunnel will give you time to do some exploring on your own, should you so desire...
Otherwise, stunning vistas await you at every turn along this very windy highway that is technically only 14 miles long (also known as SR 87 on maps).
Along this highway you'll also encounter 3 unique 'pigtail' bridges (not pictured), with tunnels at the top end that, depending on the direction you are driving, frame nearby Mt. Rushmore for a neat picture (below).
I happened to have first driven it in mid-October, long after tourists were gone yet the temperatures still a warm mid-70s for incredible spectacles largely to myself. For good reason, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven, as the old adage goes...
Some people are really in tune with beach areas, and the ocean...others love being around lakes...I'm one that prefers mountains and large rock outcroppings to be 'in touch' with my Inner Stirrings, and The Needles certainly filled that niche for me...
There are certainly other natural attractions very close by...from Sylvan Lake... to the before-featured "He Wakinyan Hohpi" (Harney Peak) area... to the Norbeck Scenic Highway and Iron Mountain... and so much more, which will be the subject of future Travelogues down the road...
Remember to click on any picture to have it enlarge...some make for great computer wallpaper. Thanks for joining me once again for my weekly Thursday adventure on "Bob's Blah-Blah Blog Travelogue"!!!
2 comments:
hey, nice pics. the seventh one looks like three different things,looking from left to right:
-two native americans
or
-a dog and an old, heavy man
or
-two pirates
lori
YES!!! That's exactly what I thought I'd hear from those that really 'see' it all in the pictures...the shapes ring true to each person as to what they see....it's NOT important WHAT you see; it IS important that the 'rocks' talk and help conjure your own unique 'looks' and images...Aho! They are all that and more, honestly...thanks for sharing what you see in the rocks!
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