Badlands and Black Hills - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 533

8. Custer State Park
From Rushmore the drive pushes south toward Custer State Park on Iron Mountain Road,
partofthePeterNorbeckScenicByway.Challengedtomakethissectionofroadoneofthe
most visually pleasing in the state, engineers pulled out all the stops: the highway vaults
from ridge to ridge on spiraling bridges, and the openings to three strategically placed tun-
nels frame views of Mt. Rushmore. As you ascend to Norbeck Overlook, the highest point
along the route, look to the west at 7,242-foot Harney Peak—the greatest of the Black
Hills' many domes and, in fact, the loftiest mountain between the Rockies and the Swiss
Alps.
From the overlook the road descends to Lakota Lake and Iron Creek (lined with
300-year-old pines and a lush understory of ferns and berry bushes) and then continues on
to Custer State Park's 71,000 acres in the heart of the Black Hills' gold rush country.
The park is best known for its wildlife, including bison—at 1,300 head, one of the
largest public herds in the nation. To view these imposing creatures (watch them from the
safety of your car), drive the 18-mile-long Wildlife Loop Road through the sumptuous
grasslands where they graze. The best time to see the unique wildlife that call Custer State
Park home is early morning or early evening when the wildlife is most active.