Sturgis, South Dakota

 

   Needles Highway

The Needles Eye Tunnel

After splitting from US 16A, the route is known as the Needles Highway. The highway is named after the high granite "needles" it winds among. Along this stretch lies the Black Hills Playhouse. The highway passes through two tunnels blasted through sheer granite walls—Iron Creek Tunnel at mile 25 (40 km), and Needles Eye Tunnel at mile 31 (50 km).^[1] Owing to the narrow roadway, sharp turns, and low tunnels, the road has very little traffic. The vehicles that do travel this road are almost exclusively sightseers.

Just after Needles Eye Tunnel, Highway 87 serves as the northern terminus of SD 89. After this junction, SD 87 has one more tunnel, Hood Tunnel, at milepost 33 (53 km).^[1] It then provides access to the Sylvan Lake Resort. The route finally ends at US 16/385 south of Hill City.