eyes. It was time for a road trip before the crowds hit, and we headed for Hill City and the Needles Highway, a twisting road through carved rock tunnels, dense forest, and with some of most beautiful vistas in the Black Hills. It’s an area of towering granite spires, unlike any other place in the area. We made a quick stop at Sylvan 
Lake, one of those beautiful places that looks like a painting. The lake has a nice lodge, boat rentals, and is stocked with trout; just one of the many places in Custer State Park with these type of activities. Continuing down the road we came to the first tunnel, or more correctly, the first hole carved 
through the rock. Prior to the tunnel, there are interesting rock formations, viewpoints, and very limited parking. It was a mess when we were there on a quiet day, and we can’t imagine what it would be like during the busy season. 
One of the problems is that the tunnel, which is limited to one way traffic, has traffic coming from both directions, and it’s difficult to see if anyone is waiting on the other end. We watched this Hummer slowly work his way through, just barely clearing his mirrors on each side. It made us wonder how many large RVs ignore the signs and end up stuck here with almost no space to turn around. Bet it only happens on the busiest days!The views as we traveled the highway were stunning:
At the end of the Needles Highway, we entered the “wildlife loop” section, an area where the majority of the Bison are located. It’s spring, and calves were everywhere – running, jumping, and generally driving their mothers crazy. There were a few half-hearted battles between the bulls, but in general everyone was hanging out in the grass enjoying the day.
Driving along a more remote stretch of road, my eye caught something up against the trees in the distance. We stopped to get a better look with binoculars, and were surprised to see this mother Pronghorn with twin fawns enjoying a day in the sunshine.
What an amazing place, the Black Hills! We’ll be back soon with more stories of our travels, C’mon back!
