Iron Mountain Road is the showpiece of the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, and it was designed as such. Norbeck and his engineer, working in the 1930s, wanted a road that would pull travellers slowly through the Black Hills and deliver them to sudden views, and they got it. Wooden pigtail bridges loop over themselves to gain height, tunnels are placed so that a carved presidential face appears in the frame at the end, and the road twists along a ridge with the forest falling away on either side.
The most famous of those views is of Mount Rushmore. Heading north on US 16A, you pass through a tunnel, and as you emerge the granite faces of four presidents appear in the distance, perfectly framed by the rock. Gutzon Borglum began carving the mountain in 1927, and the work, which employed hundreds of local workers, ended in 1941. It is a controversial monument for reasons that include the fact that the Black Hills are sacred to the Lakota, and the land was taken in breach of treaty, a history that is worth knowing as you ride.
The road itself is a pleasure. It is about seventeen miles of tight bends, sudden climbs, and short, curving bridges, and the speed limit is low, around twenty-five miles an hour on some sections. The tunnels are narrow, and the pigtails demand a slow, steady hand. The surface is generally good, though the weather can leave patches of damp, and the traffic can be heavy in summer. Mornings are the best time, when the light is soft and the road is quiet.
Custer, nine kilometres to the south, has fuel, food, and bike-friendly lodging, and Rapid City, to the north-east, is the big town with all the services. Autumn colour is excellent, though snow can come early, and the byway can be closed or icy in winter. Watch for wildlife, particularly deer and bison, and take care of the pigtails, where the road narrows and the drop is steep. The sound of a bike echoing through a tunnel is one of the small joys of the hills.