Pitches 1 to 4 Rock type granite, pegmatite Height 152 m Owner State park | Grades 5.0-5.13 Development well developed Range Black Hills Nearest city Custer | |
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Climbing type traditional face and crack climbing and bouldering Quantity of rock years worth ( 2,000 summits) Similar Black Hills, Sylvan Lake, Custer State Park, Cathedral Spires Trailhead, Crazy Horse Memorial | ||
The Needles of the Black Hills of South Dakota are a region of eroded granite pillars, towers, and spires within Custer State Park. Popular with rock climbers and tourists alike, the Needles are accessed from the Needles Highway, which is a part of Sylvan Lake Road (SD 87/89). The Cathedral Spires and Limber Pine Natural Area, a 637-acre portion of the Needles containing six ridges of pillars as well as a disjunct stand of limber pine, was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1976.
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Map of Needles, West Custer Township, SD 57730, USA
The Needles were the original site proposed for the Mount Rushmore carvings. The location was rejected by the sculptor Gutzon Borglum owing to the poor quality of the granite and the fact that they were too thin to support the sculptures. The Needles attract approximately 300,000 people annually.
Climbing
The area has a rich history of bold climbing by greatest climbers of their era, and has long been known for its purist ethics. In 1936 Fritz Wiessner climbed the Totem Pole and in 1937 Khayyam Spire with Bill House and Lawrence Coveney. In 1947 Jan and Herb Conn moved to the area and over the next couple decades put up over 220 first ascents. In 1952 Fred Beckey and John Dudra climbed Rubaiyat Spire and Khayyam Spire. In the 1960s climbers such as Royal Robbins, and Henry Barber put up many bold routes. In 1961 John Gill made free solo ascent of 5.12a route on The Thimble which is considered one of the first climbs at that grade and still is a formidable challenge. In the 1970s and 1980s many climbs were added by local and non-local climbers, such as Paul Muehl, John Page, Brent Kertzman, Paul Piana, Todd Skinner, Kevin Bein, Bob Kamps, Mike Engle, Mark Jacobs, Bob Archbold and Pete Delonney. In 1991 John Sherman also made a free solo ascent of Gill's Route. Today climbers still hold true to the ground up ethics put in place in the late 80s. Bold new routes are still being added.