Sylvan Lake and Needles Highway, Custer State Park, SD

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Today was remarkable in so many ways—the weather was absolutely stunning with clear blue skies, temperatures in the upper 60s, and we were off to Sylvan Lake. Located in Custer State Park, Sylvan Lake comes highly recommended by YouTubers, and after today, we totally understand why.

Another must-do is driving the Needles Highway—simply incredible! This drive is beyond words, with its thrilling narrow roads barely wide enough for oncoming traffic, and at times, no guardrails to stop a plunge of hundreds of feet. To top it off, you navigate through the Eye of the Needle—a tunnel carved through solid rock, just wide enough for our big F-250 4×4 (by the way, Ron was behind the wheel today!). We had just about 2 inches of clearance on each side of the truck, with the mirrors folded in, to avoid getting stuck. But the views made it all worthwhile – it was totally exhilarating!

I will let the photos tell the story – every picture tells a story, don’t it!

Staying at Custer State Park was absolutely incredible and truly unforgettable!