Inside Iron Creek Tunnel, Custer State Park, South Dakota

Stone tunnel with moss-covered walls along Iron Creek in Custer State Park, South Dakota.
Stone tunnel with moss-covered walls along Iron Creek in Custer State Park, South Dakota.

Iron Creek Tunnel carries Needles Highway through a granite outcrop in Custer State Park. The road was built in the 1920s under the direction of South Dakota Governor Peter Norbeck, who laid out the route on foot and horseback to highlight the Black Hills' granite spires. Norbeck designed several tunnels along the highway to frame views of Mount Rushmore and the surrounding needle rock formations, and Iron Creek Tunnel remains one of the narrower passages on the route, cut directly through native granite rather than lined with concrete. The highway connects to the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, a National Scenic Byway that also links to Custer State Park's Wildlife Loop Road.

Photo taken in July 2019.

Photo Part Of
Custer State Park
36 photos
Map
OpenStreetMap Google Maps
More from Custer State Park
Bison Cow and Calf Crossing Wildlife Loop Road, Custer State Park
Bison Cow and Calf Crossing Wildlife Loop Road, Custer State Park
Custer State Park's Wildlife Loop Road runs 18 miles through the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, cutting straight through…
Black Elk Peak Trail Descent at Dusk, Black Hills, South Dakota
Black Elk Peak Trail Descent at Dusk, Black Hills, South Dakota
A hiker descends the trail from Black Elk Peak, the highest point in South Dakota, within Custer State Park. The…
Mossy Granite Outcrop Near Sylvan Lake, Custer State Park
Mossy Granite Outcrop Near Sylvan Lake, Custer State Park
This granite outcrop sits along a small stream near Sylvan Lake, in the Black Hills of Custer State Park, South…
Ponderosa Pine Trail near Black Elk Peak, Black Hills, South Dakota
Ponderosa Pine Trail near Black Elk Peak, Black Hills, South Dakota
Black Elk Peak, once named Harney Peak, rises to 7,244 feet in South Dakota's Black Hills, making it the highest…
Car Enters Iron Creek Tunnel, Custer State Park
Car Enters Iron Creek Tunnel, Custer State Park
Iron Creek Tunnel carries the Needles Highway through a granite outcrop in Custer State Park, South Dakota. The highway was…
Foggy Summit of Black Elk Peak, Black Hills National Forest
Foggy Summit of Black Elk Peak, Black Hills National Forest
Black Elk Peak reaches 7,242 feet, making it the highest point in South Dakota and the highest peak in the…
Nearby Photos

Built in Minneapolis

Minneapolis Photographer

Browse by location, move through long-running series, or start with recent work.

© 1996–2026 Chad Davis