NEW from Sylvan Lake Lodge!

Open top tour! Paved roads. No bouncing.

Sit back and experience two of the most scenic roads of Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway: the impressive spires of Needles Highway, and the famous pigtail bridges and stunning views of Iron Mountain Road. Includes all six (6) tunnels, Needles Eye, scenic overlook stops, and the pigtail bridges! Private Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

Duration

2.5 - 3 Hours

Capacity

Our Jeep Wrangler Rubicons can seat up to 3 Adult passengers, or 4 total passengers if at least one passenger is a small child taking the middle seat.

Details

• Your private Guide picks you up from the front of Sylvan Lake Lodge in a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
• This beautiful tour takes you on the most breathtaking highlights of Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway (Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road).
• Your private driver & guide takes you through the history, geology, and biology of the Park the whole way, with regular Q&A & photo opportunities throughout.
• Perfect for travelers in an RV or anyone who would prefer a relaxed, guided tour of the Hills with the top down.

What to expect

Entire route is on paved roads in a standard open-top Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. No bumpy roads taken. Top can be snapped back on by request. Expect windy roads to be taken at a leisurely pace.

The route

Starting at Sylvan Lake Lodge, your Tunnel Tour's first highlight is Needles Eye Tunnel, with the infamous Needles Eye...a towering granite boulder naturally formed to look like the eye of a sewing needle. Further down, you will then pass through your second tunnel, Iron Creek Tunnel.

Then jump on to Iron Mountain Road to catch the famous pigtail bridges, including Scovel Johnson Tunnel, CC Gideon Tunnel, and Doane Robinson Tunnel...known for forming a 'frame' around Mount Rushmore.

While we do not officially stop at Mount Rushmore, there will be opportunity to stop at the best scenic overlooks that feature Mount Rushmore in the background.

Highway 244 then takes us back to the northern end of Needles Highway, where we pass through Hood Tunnel before returning to the Lodge.

Requirements

Bring sunscreen if desired and dress accordingly. Blankets available. Standard seatbelts available; any required car seats must be brought with you. Drivers will lend a hand loading and unloading, but guests must be physically able to take steps into and out of the Jeep. No pets.

A note about weather

Tours will often still depart if raining (snap top put on). Come prepared! Lighting will force a tour to be rescheduled.

About Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway

The Needles Highway is more than a 14-mile road—it’s a spectacular drive through pine and spruce forests, meadows surrounded by birch and aspen, and rugged granite mountains. The road’s name comes from the needlelike granite formations that seem to pierce the horizon along the highway.

The roadway was carefully planned by former South Dakota Governor Peter Norbeck in 1922, who marked the entire course on foot and by horseback.

Iron Mountain Road Experience the road that engineers once said couldn't be built. This winding road runs between Mount Rushmore National Memorial and the junction of US 16A and SD 36 in Custer State Park. Along the highway, visitors will find wildfire exhibits, pigtail bridges, magnificent Black Hills scenery, and tunnels that frame Mount Rushmore.

Constructed in 1933 under the direction of Senator Peter Norbeck, only a portion of this road lies within the park, but it is a must-see. Norbeck said of the Iron Mountain Road, "this is not meant to be a super highway, to do the scenery justice you should drive no more than 20 mph and to do it full justice you should simply get out and walk."