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Peter Norbeck Scenic Highway

The Red route is absolutely wonderful. It's so beautiful that its listed as one of the top ten scenic byways in the united states.

Named after Peter Norbeck was a South Dakota Senator credited with designing and this highway along with help birthing the carving of Mount Rushmore. The road rises, falls, bends and twists its way for about 65 miles, traveling all the way around Harney Peak, the highest peak in the Black Hills. You'll travel on pig tail bridges, through granite tunnels and beautiful open meadows.

This highway, also known as 16a, will take you into Custer State Park where the buffalo roam free. You'll climb over the Needles Hwy to at least 6,600 ft in elevation. Along the way you'll have a chance to visit Sylvan Lake, one of the most photographed lakes in the Black Hills and a film location for the blockbust movie National Treasure "Book of Secrets". If you like hiking, take an entire afternoon, at least, and use Sylvan lake as a base camp for your adventure through granite canyons and valley's

Red Route, 65 miles

drive time 4 hrs - recommended 6 hrs

Iron Mountain Road,

also called the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway. Rated in the top 10 scenic roads in the United States. Enjoy the pigtail bridges that clmb the elevation over Iron Mountain. Have a picnic or take a nice hike at the many pull offs.

Custer State Park

Home to the largest state owned buffalo herd in the United States. Take your camera and hunt for many of the wild animals, scenic vistas, and secret spots on the 'off the beaten path' gravel park roads on the Wildlife Loop

Needles Highway

A windy intimate highway that climbs towards Harney Peak. Although the roads are too small for your motorhome, its perfect for a nice drive in your car. Enjoy many hikes and scenic vistas too

Crazy Horse
Memorial

The worldâs largest sculpture, now in progress, is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota on US Highway 16/385 just 17 miles southwest of Mount Rushmore

No matter where you start, get to Mount Rushmore by 9:00-10:00am at the latest in order to get the best pictures in the morning light!

8:00am - Walk the streets of Keystone, buy all the Black Hills t-shirts you want.

9:00am - Visit the Rushmore Borglum Story in Keystone

10:00am - Visit Mount Rushmore Memorial via hwy 244

11:00am - Travel over the PeterÂ Norbeck Scenic Byway starting on 16a, Iron Mountain road
- Pull into the many pull-offs and picnic areas for hikes and scenic lookouts
- Stop and take pictures at the pig tail bridges or the scenic tunnels that frame Mount
Rushmore. There's lots of hiking trails and scenic vistas so take your time!
- Enter Custer State Park, find the donkey's buffalo and elk roaming around
- Consider taking the Brown Route, also known as Wildlife Loop Road

1:00pm - Enjoy lunch at the Custer State Park Game Lodge
- Presidential summer whitehouse of Calvin Coolidge. Don't miss the Buffalo stew!

2:00pm - Travel the Needles Hwy, Hwy 87 Our personal favorite scenic drive.
- Keep looking for buffalo, elk and Rocky Mtn. Bighorn Sheep
- Hike in the cathedral spires
- Small and scenic tunnles. Needles Eye tunnel is 8'7'' wide. It's a spectacular area!
- Visit Sylvan Lake, the most beautiful man made lake in the Black Hills. Â Scense from
the movie National Treasure "Book of Secrets" was filmed there. Hike to Harney Peak
if you have all afternoon (5-6 hour hike)

3:30pm - Drive to Crazy HorseÂ Memorial (30 min away)
- Visit the Sculptors Studio
- Visit many sculpture and Indian culture museums
- Ride the tour bus to the base of th monument
- Watch documentaries on the carviing of the memorial

5:00pm - Return to Keystone in time for dinner. A good little side trip is to stop into Hill City, on the Blue Route and enjoy some great shopping, the 1880 train, or have a great steak at the Alpine Inn!

Make reservations for your SmartAlec Adventure Guide

toll free 888-304-8997 - local 605-348-4456

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