This postcard of the Needles Eye Tunnel is part of a circa late-1930s series of postcards about locations along the Burlington Route railroad. The back of the postcard advertises a side trip by motor to the Black Hills that could be combined with rail trips to several destinations in the American West..
The Needles Eye Tunnel is a narrow tunnel along Needles Highway, a segment of South Dakota Highway 87 highway. This highway is considered one of the most scenic in the United States. Its name came from the needle-like granite formations along the road. The tunnel was named for a spectacular nearby rock formation resembling the eye of a needle.
Below are a contemporary photo of the Needles Eye Tunnel and a video of a drive along the Needles Highway that includes views of the tunnel (at about 1:35) and the Needles Eye (at about 1:59).
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| source: Wikipedia |
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It's so fun to see familiar shapes in rock formations like the needles and needle's eye. They remind me of some of the red rock formations in Sedona, Arizona -- the Teapot, Snoopy, Bell, Eagle, and submarine.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing tunnel and thanks for the video too - that really gave us a sense of what it is like.
ReplyDeleteWhat absolutely magnificent natural tunnels and arches!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the video especially. What a beautiful & interesting drive! Apparently from what I could understand reading about the Needles, they were formed from molten magma, cooled underground, & then were either thrust upward or were exposed by eroding of softer soils or both. We have something kind of similar in Calif. called The Devil's Postpile which formed from a 400 ft. deep lake of lava. This all happened, of course, millions of years ago. But if the earth is 4 billion years old & so much action was going on only a few million years ago, it makes you wonder what's still going on right under our feet?!! :)
ReplyDeleteBack in the day, people used to be impressed with dramatic roads, bridges, and tunnels like this one. A Sunday drive was slower and allowed time to marvel at nature and engineering.
ReplyDeleteI'm not generally claustrophobic that I think I might feel claustrophobic Needles Eye Tunnel! (At least it's not too long.) The video tour was such fun.
ReplyDeleteIf I were in a car driving along that road, I would need to be the passenger - so I could gawk at the amazing scenery!
ReplyDeleteImpressive photographs - I had never heard of the Needle Eye Tunnel before, and it is certainly aptly named.
ReplyDeleteFamily History Fun .
Great video! I would have been 'breathing in' all the way through the tunnel!
ReplyDeleteThat is spectacular scenery. I think I'd like to go hiking there.
ReplyDeleteWell, you've certainly nailed this week's them. Beautiful postcard, and I enjoyed the video as well.
ReplyDeleteYou know how much a like posts that cover the "then and now".
:)