South Dakota Highway 87
Highway 87 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Route of SD 87 (in red) | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained bySDDOT | ||||
| Length | 37.894 mi[1](60.984 km) | |||
| Restrictions | Closed in winter | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  US 385southeast ofPringle | |||
| North end |  US 16/US 385nearHill City | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | South Dakota | |||
| Counties | Custer,Pennington | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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| SouthwesternSouth Dakota |
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| Sculptures |
| Geologic and natural history |
| Mountains |
| Caves |
| Forests and wildernesses |
| Lakes |
| Scenic byways |
| Historic sites |
South Dakota Highway 87(SD 87) is a 37.894-mile-long (60.984 km)state highwayin the southwestern part of the U.S. state ofSouth Dakota.It travels through theBlack Hillsregion. The highway's southern terminus is at anintersectionwithU.S. Route 385(US 385), about 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast ofPringle,within the southwestern part ofWind Cave National Park.Its northern terminus is at an intersection withUS 16/US 385 about 3 miles (4.8 km) south-southwest ofHill City,within the east-central part of theBlack Hills National Forest.
The highway travels throughWind Cave National Park.The northern 14 miles (23 km) of the highway is also known as theNeedles Highway.The Needles Highway, along with theconcurrencywithUS 16A,are also part of thePeter Norbeck Scenic Byway.Portions of the highway are also a section of Custer State Park's Wildlife Loop.
Route description
[edit]Because of the highway's mountainous, curving nature, it is closed during the winter.[2]
South of US 16A
[edit]Highway 87 begins at US 385 inWind Cave National Park,east ofPringleand west of the park headquarters. North of US 385, the route crosses Cold Spring Creek and provides access to the upstream Lake Norbeck, named after SenatorPeter Norbeck,instrumental in establishing several of the national and state parks in the Black Hills. From the start, SD 87 is a very twisting and winding route, with a 180°hairpin turnonly a one-half mile (800 m) from the southern end. This results in the route taking a westerly track, though it eventually turns back north and crosses Beaver Creek. Three miles (4.8 km) into the route, it bridges itself and executes a 270° turn.[3]
The route entersCuster State Parkone mile (1.6 km) north of US 385.[1]Unless you travel the 16A route non-stop, admission to the park requires an entrance license; as of 2022[update],for a 1 to 7day pass the fee is $20 per vehicle, an annual park entrance license is $36.[4]Highway 87 then becomes part of the park's Wildlife Loop, and runs through the town ofBlue Bell.
At milepost 17.180 (27.649 km), Highway 87 intersectsU.S. Route 16A.[1]From this point onward, the road is part of the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway.[5]The two routes form aconcurrencyand proceed east, passing Legion Lake.[3]The roads split after just under 1.5 miles (2.4 km).[6]
Needles Highway
[edit]
After splitting from US 16A, the route is known as the Needles Highway. This segment is 14 miles (23 km) long.[7]Finished in 1922,[7]the highway is named after the highgranite"needles"it winds among. The portion of the Needles Highway between the intersection with SD 89 and the intersection with US-16A runs through Custer State Park, and requires an annual South Dakota park license granting access to all state parks, recreation areas and lakeside use areas.[8]Along this stretch lies theBlack Hills Playhouse.The highway passes through two tunnels blasted through sheer granite walls — Iron Creek Tunnel and Needles Eye Tunnel.[1]That part of the road is almost exclusively used by sightseers.
Just after Needles Eye Tunnel, Highway 87 serves as the northern terminus ofSD 89.After this junction, SD 87 has one more tunnel, Hood Tunnel.[1]It then provides access to theSylvan LakeResort. The route finally ends atUS 16/385 south ofHill City.
Major intersections
[edit]| County | Location | mi[1][6] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer | Wind Cave National Park | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 385–Wind Cave,Hot Springs,Custer,Jewel Cave | Southern terminus |
| Custer State Park | 17.810 | 28.662 |   US 16Awest – Stockade Lake,Custer,Jewel Cave Nat'l Mon. | Southern end of US 16A concurrency | |
| 19.298 | 31.057 |  US 16Aeast – Visitor Center, State Game Lodge,Mount Rushmore | Northern end of US 16A concurrency | ||
| Needles Highway South Entrance Custer State Parkfees required | |||||
| 25.1 | 40.4 | Northbound road closure gate (closed winters) | |||
| 31.6 | 50.9 | Southbound road closure gate (closed winters) | |||
| 31.8 | 51.2 | Sylvan Lake Entrance Custer State Parkfees required | |||
| 31.929 | 51.385 |   SD 89south (Sylvan Lake Road) –Custer | Northern terminus of SD 89 | ||
| Pennington | 37.894 | 60.984 | US 16/US 385–Crazy Horse,Hill City,Mount Rushmore,Jewel Cave,Wind Cave | Northern terminus | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcdefSouth Dakota Department of Transportation(January 2009)."State Highway Log, Rapid City Region"(PDF).Retrieved2009-12-17.
- ^Geelhart, Chris."The South Dakota Highways Page: Highways 61 to 100".Retrieved2009-12-17.[self-published source?]
- ^ab"South Dakota Highway 87"(Map).Google Maps.Google. 2009-12-17.Retrieved2009-12-17.
- ^Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association."Custer State Park".Retrieved2022-08-26.
- ^National Scenic Byways Program."Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway—Map".Retrieved2009-12-17.
- ^abUS-16A portion of SDDOT State Highway Log (ref. 1)
- ^ab"Needles Highway".Visit Rapid City.Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 4,2014.
- ^"Park Entrance License".South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks.Retrieved2023-10-16.