Custer
State Park in the Black Hills encompasses 73,000 acres of spectacular
terrain and an abundance of wildlife. The park boasts scenic drives
such as the Needles Highway (SD 87), which twists and turns its way
past towering rock formations and through narrow tunnels.At
the end of one tunnel stands the Needles Eye, a granite spire with
a slit only 3 to 4 feet wide but reaching 30 to 40 feet in the air.
A herd of 1,500
bison roams freely throughout the park. The herd is one of the largest
in the world. Besides bison, the park is home to wildlife such as pronghorn
antelope, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, wild turkeys,
and a band of friendly burros.
Mount
Rushmore National Memorial stands as a powerful symbol of American
democracy. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt
and Abraham Lincoln make up the world-famous "Shrine of Democracy."