The Needles Eye is a rock needle, a pillar of weathered granite with a slot through it, and the road beside it passes through a tunnel so narrow that riders have a story to tell about it. The tunnel is a little over eight feet wide, and wide handlebars and panniers need a steady hand and a slow approach. It forms part of the Needles Highway, South Dakota Highway 87, which the South Dakota politician Peter Norbeck laid out on foot and horseback in the early 1920s, choosing the line himself through the granite spires of Custer State Park.
The rock here is extraordinary. The Black Hills are an island of ancient granite and forest rising out of the surrounding plains, and the Needles are tall, slender spires of grey stone, weathered into fingers and towers that poke up through the pines. The Lakota call the hills Paha Sapa, and they hold a deep spiritual meaning. Sylvan Lake, a short way south, is a small lake ringed by boulders, popular for photographs at sunrise. Black Elk Peak, at 7,242 feet, is the highest summit in the state and rises beyond.
For the bike, the Needles Highway is slow, tight and magical, with hairpins, short tunnels and views that open without warning. The speed limit is low and wise, and the road is crowded in summer, particularly in the middle of the day, so go early or late. Tunnels are dark, and oncoming traffic must be watched. Rain can make the surface greasy, and the road is closed in winter, usually from late autumn until spring.
Services are in the towns around the edge of the hills. Custer and Hill City have fuel, food and lodging, and Rapid City, thirty-six kilometres to the north-east, has everything else. Park entry has a fee, and the weather in the hills can change fast, with summer thunderstorms and cold mornings. Look out for bison and burros along the roads in Custer State Park, since they have no respect for traffic.