Black Hills Self Guided Driving Audio Tour

This section of 16A is called Iron Mountain Road, which, together with the Needles Highway, encapsulates the spirit of Custer State Park.

Next up is the second Pigtail Bridge, which is followed immediately by the first tunnel.

After booking, check your email and follow the instructions to set up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do NOT wait until you are onsite. If you have my Mount Rushmore walking tour, you should exit this tour now and switch to that one. To access the Mount Rushmore tour, first tap Home in the top left corner of your screen. Then press Yes to exit this tour. Once you’ve exited, launch the Mount Rushmore tour. It will start near the Information Centre at the Entrance.

Note: The tour is over 66 miles long, with more than 65+ audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete.

Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

Enjoy this last section of single lane roller coaster driving. As you wind through the forest here, you'll soon be cresting the ridge and leaving the Mount Rushmore area.

The highpoint of the Iron Mountain Road at 5400 ft. There's a big parking lot here, and I recommend taking the time to get out of the car to walk to the overlook.

The last tunnel on Iron Mountain Road is the Scovel Johnson Tunnel, named for the chief engineer and surveyor of the Black Hills Scenic drives.

You’re now driving through the heart of the Galena Fire from way back in 1988, one of largest wildfires in Custer State Park history.

“Jewel Cave”, The third largest cave system in the world, is probably already on your radar if you're at all fascinated with the subterranean world now.

In 1874, Lieutenant Colonel George Custer forever changed the fate of the Black Hills. In those days, the Black Hills belonged to the Sioux, as stated in the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie.

If you want to visit cowboy poet Badger Clark's home, which will be on the left. You'll see a sign that says Badger's Hole.

You'll soon see a turnoff for the Black Hills Playhouse, possibly the single most obscure locations for drama in the world! Plays are staged between June and mid-August, a tradition that has been going strong since 1946.

Vehicle Restrictions on the Black Hills Loop Drive - Height restrictions apply along the Black Hills Loop Drive, as large RVs cannot fit through the tunnels on Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road. If possible, drive a regular vehicle, or if towing, detach and leave your trailer behind. For full tunnel dimensions and detailed firsthand driving impressions, see The Narrow Tunnels of the Needles Highway.

Not too long from now, you'll be at Sylvan Lake. That marks the state park boundary. There are two particularly worthwhile places of interest here.

You'll soon pass the historic Sylvan Lake Lodge on the right, although you'll not be able to see much through the trees.

In just a few minutes, you're going to need to make a choice about whether you'd like to take the detour to the Crazy Horse Memorial, or continue following the tour loop around the Black Hills. Crazy horse is barely a ten minute drive from the junction.

The next few blocks are the town, and most things are pretty self-explanatory.