South Dakota 2022 - Day #3
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
We started Day #3 with a roughly 4-mile out-and-back hike on the Iron Creek East Trail. These are a few images of the scenery along the hike.
Iron Creek Trail.
Another view from the Iron Creek Trail.
After our hike on the Iron Creek Trail, we visited Custer State Park. A Custer State Park visit is never complete without Lisa making some new friends.
Who knew that begging burros enjoy Milk-Bone dog treats?
Having established that Milk-Bone dog treats are rather tasty….
… things started getting really intimate in a hurry!!
A little further along the Wildlife Loop is Prairie Dog Town.
Once again, Lisa wanted to get out and make some new friends. However, when I told her that prairie dogs are a well-established vector for the Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of the Plague - she took a pass!
They are funny to watch and prove to be quite entertaining.
After leaving Custer State Park, we drove up Needles Highway. This is something we didn’t get the chance to do last year, since it was closed due to snow. The next images are all from Needles Highway and the fantastic vistas it provides.
The Cathedral Spires are just an amazing site to behold.
Check out the balancing rock on the upper left side.
Sedrick took a short stroll among the incredible rocks of Needles Highway.
The Aspen trees really provide a spectacular fall display at this time of year.
This is just such a spectacular place, it begs for multiple photos.
There is a trail that goes right down to the base of these majestic rock formations called the Cathedral Spires Trail. On a future visit, we are going to hike that short trail.
Another view of the balanced rock towering above Needles Highway.
The views from Needles Highway are just never-ending.
The whole thing is enhanced by the fall colors of the Aspen trees.
The late afternoon sun really provided some nice contrast between the shadows and highlights.
You can see the road in the foreground and it gives you some idea of how amazing this drive is. Plus, what a feat of engineering to build this road.
Lisa insisted on this photo because she is convinced that this rock formation looks like a Christmas gnome.
Another view of the Cathedral Spires formation.
The Cathedral Spires trailhead takes off from right here.
The fact that someone actually built a road here is crazy. But, thankfully they did! What a place.
The view from Needles Eye Tunnel.
Needles Eye Tunnel. Don’t plan to do this road with an RV!
This is the iconic formation that gives the road its name; this is known as the Eye of the Needle because it resembles the eye of a sewing needle.
With the sun rapidly setting, one last photo of the truly unique rock formations along this amazing stretch of roadway.
