Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway
Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in South Dakota. Within South Dakota it covers roughly 70 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
This byway loops through the granite heart of the Black Hills, taking in the Needles Highway — where the road threads between towering granite spires and one-lane tunnels — and Iron Mountain Road, with its corkscrew "pigtail" bridges and tunnels deliberately framing Mount Rushmore. Sylvan Lake and the surrounding Custer State Park round out the route. It is widely regarded as one of the most ingeniously engineered scenic drives in the country.
- Needles Highway spires
- Iron Mountain pigtail bridges
- tunnels framing Mount Rushmore
- Sylvan Lake
- Black Hills granite
Designated for its scenic qualities
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Places to stop along Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
The 60-foot granite faces of Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Lincoln, with a walking trail to the base.
WebsiteHorsethief Lake
A small lake near Mount Rushmore with a campground and trailheads into the granite backcountry.
Black Elk Peak
South Dakota's highest point, reached by a seven-mile round-trip trail to a stone fire tower.
Sylvan Lake
A granite-ringed lake at the top of the Needles Highway, with an easy loop trail and swimming.
Needles Eye
A slender granite spire with a slit like a needle's eye, beside a one-lane tunnel on the Needles Highway.
Cathedral Spires
A cluster of granite pinnacles popular with climbers, seen from the road or a short trail.
Custer State Park
A large park famous for its bison herd, wildlife loop road, and begging burros.
WebsitePeter Norbeck Visitor Center
A CCC-built stone visitor center in Custer State Park with exhibits and gold-panning demonstrations.
Crazy Horse Memorial
A mountain carving of the Lakota leader Crazy Horse, under way since 1948, with a large Native American museum.
Website
Where to Stay along Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway
12 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway.
Campsite and lodging links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.
Photos of Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway
What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.