The Story
The 14-mile Needles Highway (SD-87), from US-16A to Sylvan Lake, was surveyed on foot and horseback by former governor Peter Norbeck, who wanted it to showcase the park's wind-and-frost-carved granite pinnacles. Construction finished in 1922. The route is named for the "needles" — slender spires — that line it, the most famous being the Needle's Eye. Its single-lane Needles Eye Tunnel, blasted through solid granite, is just 8 feet wide and about 9 feet 9 inches high, too tight for many RVs.
Surprising Facts
→ Norbeck marked the entire route himself on foot and horseback, prioritizing scenery over efficiency.
→ The Needles Eye Tunnel is only 8 feet wide — many RVs and trailers physically cannot pass through.
→ The spires were shaped by thousands of years of freeze-thaw weathering, not human hands.