Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway, Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park

We enjoyed a super scenic drive though Custer State Park, along Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway, with multiple narrow tunnels, fun twisty roads, and impressive views. Then went along the Wildlife Loop.

The map from their website; click or tap to see larger:

An interactive map of our route; we started at the Legion Lake Campground, heading northeast towards the Norbeck Overlook waypoint along the Iron Mountain Road, continuing anti-clockwise to Sylvan Lake, where we had lunch and a walk, then through the middle and clockwise around the Wildlife Loop, back to the campground:

A narrow and low tunnel:

Narrow and short tunnel

Two narrow and low tunnels:

Two narrow and short tunnels

The second tunnel emerges to a bridge and corkscrew:

Tunnel to bridge and corkscrew

Another narrow tunnel:

Narrow and short tunnel

This one has a peek of Mount Rushmore:

Mount Rushmore

We went past Mount Rushmore on the route (been there before; not worth stopping again):

Mount Rushmore

The first tunnel on the Needles Highway:

Narrow and short tunnel

A selfie at Sylvan Lake:

Selfie at Sylvan Lake

We strolled along the lakeside after lunch; one of our favorite places:

Sylvan Lake

Needle’s Eye:

Needle's Eye

Needle’s Eye tunnel:

Narrow and short tunnel

More interesting rocks:

Interesting rocks

Narrow and short tunnel

Wildlife:

Deer

Turkeys

Deer

Prairie Dogs

Bison

Sunset

Bison

Legion Lake in Custer State Park

While staying at the Legion Lake Campground in Custer State Park, we wandered across the road to the Legion Lake Lodge and the Dockside Grill for dinner, followed by a stroll along the lakeside.

A view of our coach from the lake parking lot:

View of our coach from the lake parking lot

Lake and lodge:

Lake and lodge

Turtle:

Turtle

Legion Lake Lodge

Gift store:

Gift store

Dockside Grill:

Dockside Grill

Dinner

A stroll along the lakeside:

Boats

Lake

A nice lake.

Legion Lake Campground in Custer State Park

We stayed at Legion Lake Campground in Custer State Park, South Dakota. (Campground Reviews listing.)

Custer State Park is perhaps our all-time favorite state park. We enjoyed staying in the park, though the lack of water and sewer was inconvenient. Especially since we hadn’t noticed that it didn’t have water, and only arrived with a half-full tank.

We do have a water bladder to fetch water, and a tote to dump waste, but coped without using them, since only three nights. The lack of a dump station in the campground would be very inconvenient for a longer stay, though.

Dates:

Check in: 2024-07-28
Check out: 2024-07-31
3 nights

Weather:

Partly cloudy, a little drizzle
High temps 82-92°F, lows 59-64°F
Little wind, gusts to 16 MPH

Noise:

Nearby road noise
No train horn noise
Little neighbor noise

Site:

#01E, back-in, asphalt
Needed to disconnect toad, parked in front of coach
Unlevel site; high in front and passenger side; used hydraulic leveling
Asphalt driveway about 70 feet long by 14 feet wide
12-50 feet to neighbor on passenger side
110 feet to footpath on driver side
Picnic table
Fire pit
Tall trees
Clean site

Utilities:

50 amp power, very conveniently located
No water; water spigot at bathhouse
No sewer; no dump station in this campground

Internet (in usage priority order):

T-Mobile: 22 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up, 60 ms ping
AT&T: 160 Mbps down, 7 Mbps up, 90-110 ms ping
Verizon: 26 Mbps down, 10 Mbps up, 75 ms ping
Starlink: not used
Campground Wi-Fi: none

Amenities:

Garbage dumpster
Nearby lodge restaurant

Our review on Campground Reviews:

In the middle of everything

Custer State Park is one of our favorite places. The scenery, wildlife, and general ambiance are magical, and staying inside the park makes it even more special. All the sites are electric-only, and that’s okay as it’s the hookup we rely on most (especially when it’s warm). There is a water spigot by the bathrooms if you need to fill up, but the nearest dump station inside the park is in a different campground halfway across the park. The site was a bit unlevel, but not so much that our hydraulic levelers couldn’t cope. A nice view of the lake across the road and a tree-filled hillside behind our site made for a picturesque stay. We camped at Custer State Park – Legion Lake Campground in a Motorhome.

Campground map:

Legion Lake map

An interactive map:

Our site:

Our site

Only an electrical hookup:

Only electrical hookup

Our coach from across the road:

Our coach from across the road

Elevation 5,010 feet:

Elevation 5,010 feet

Paladin was most fascinated by a taunty chipmunk that hung out around our site:

Paladin

Chipmunk

Entrance sign:

Entrance sign

Path to the lake area:

Path to lake area

Other sites:

Other sites

(We wondered how they got the left-hand trailer into that position.)

Bathroom:

Bathroom

Info sign:

Info sign

Campground map

We are currently planning to visit this area again next year. But we’ll probably stay outside the park, so we can have full hookups, and explore other areas.

Video

Video: Mitchell to Custer, South Dakota motorhome travel timelapse

A timelapse of driving our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome, 313 miles from Mitchell, South Dakota to Custer, South Dakota.

Travel from Mitchell to Custer, South Dakota

We drove our coach 313 miles, about five hours of driving, from Mitchell, South Dakota to Custer, South Dakota.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:

Route map

An interactive map:

Heading west of I-90:

I-90 West

Rest area stop:

Rest area

Sunflower field:

Sunflowers

The Dignity of Earth and Sky sculpture:

Sculpture

A Tiffin Allegro Red motorhome passing us:

Tiffin Allegro Red motorhome

Lunch stop at Hutch’s Cafe:

Hutch's Cafe

Menu:

Hutch's Cafe

Back to our coach:

Back to our coach

Entering Mountain Time Zone:

Entering Mountain Time Zone

Passing Badlands National Park:

Badlands National Park

Another rest area:

Rest area

Paladin sat in his dash bed for a while:

Paladin sat in his dash bed for a while

Firehouse Brewery & Winery had several fire trucks along the freeway:

Firehouse Brewery & Winery had several fire trucks along the freeway

Paladin asleep on the floor:

Paladin asleep on the floor

Busts:

Busts

Entering Custer State Park, our favorite state park:

Custer State Park

Curvy road:

Curvy road

Whatever we do, don’t turn onto Needles Highway with our coach! Very narrow and short tunnels:

Needles Highway intersection

Legion Lake campground entrance:

Campground entrance

Our site, with a glimpse of the lake in the background:

Our site

Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village National Historic Landmark

We visited the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village in Mitchell, South Dakota, which includes a museum and a covered archeological dig site.

Exhibits in the museum:

Exhibits

Sculpture:

Sculpture

The “Archeodome” covers an archeological dig site:

Archeodome

Interesting stuff.

Lincoln Home National Historic Site

We visited Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois, featuring the only house that Abraham Lincoln ever owned, and neighboring houses.

Sign

Gift store:

Gift store

“The Lincolns Buy a Home”:

The Lincolns Buy a Home

Model

Exhibits

Floor plan:

Exhibits

Lincoln’s home:

Lincoln's home

Lincoln’s outhouse:

Lincoln's outhouse

Neighboring homes:

Other neighbor homes

Exhibits

Another look at Lincoln’s home:

Other neighbor homes

Lincoln's home

Gateway Arch National Park

We visited Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, Missouri.

The NPS map:

An interactive map:

Map sign:

Map sign

Old Courthouse, currently being renovated:

Old Courthouse

Gateway Arch:

Gateway Arch

Inside the visitor center, a model tram; eight of these go up and down each leg of the arch:

Model tram

Exhibits:

Exhibits

A model of the observation area at the top of the arch:

Exhibits

Line to the top:

Line to the top

Boarding pass:

Boarding pass

Waiting for the tram:

Waiting for tram

Our tram:

Tram

Looking through the windows in the tram doors to the inside of the arch:

Inside the arch

Trams at top:

Trams at top

Top of the arch:

Top of arch

630 feet high:

630 feet high

Jenn taking a photo out an observation window:

Jenn

Views from top:

View from top

Shadow of the arch:

View from top

Waiting for the tram for the journey down:

Waiting for tram

Selfie in the tram:

Selfie in tram

Inside the arch:

Inside the arch

Out of the tram:

Out of the tram

Tram waiting area:

Tram waiting area

Arch store:

Store

Arch cafe for a snack:

Cafe

Snack

Under the arch:

Under the arch

Arch selfie

A rather unique national park.

Travel from Elberfeld, Indiana to Sullivan, Missouri

We drove our coach 255 miles, about five hours of driving, from Elberfeld, Indiana to Sullivan, Missouri.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:

Map

An interactive map:

Water lilies:

Water lilies

Heading on to I-69 North:

Heading on to I-69 North

Pulling up a yellow stripe:

Pulling up a yellow stripe

Love’s fuel stop:

Fuel stop

87.122 gallons of diesel for $367.57; we saved $58.42 off that pump price via our fuel discount card:

87.122 gallons for $367.57

Bridge roadworks:

Roadworks

Wabash River:

Wabash River

“Welcome to Illinois”:

Welcome to Illinois

We haven’t seen a pump jack for a while:

Pump jack

More bridge roadworks:

Roadworks

Rest area:

Rest area

Crossover roadworks:

Crossover roadworks

An interestingly shaped trailer (a mobile stage):

An interestingly shaped trailer (a mobile stage)

Another rest area:

Another rest area

A sign that says “After 11 hours driving, you need 10 hours rest”; we prefer to drive only two hours, but will go up to six on interstates, and stay at least one night when “sprinting”, preferably one to two weeks:

After 11 hours driving you need 10 hours rest

Our first glimpse of the Gateway Arch:

Our first glimpse of the Gateway Arch

Gateway Arch

“Missouri Welcomes You”:

Missouri Welcomes You

Gateway Arch

Six Flags theme park, yep, with six flags out front:

Six Flags

Approaching our destination, Meramec State Park:

Meramec State Park

Our site:

Our site

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

We visited the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in Kentucky, a small park with the country’s first monument to Lincoln, enclosing the Symbolic Cabin, a reconstruction of the tiny cabin where Lincoln was born. The memorial was built between 1909 and 1911.

Entrance sign