Needles (Black Hills) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Needles |
|
|---|---|
The Needles, South Dakota, United States
|
|
 Location in South Dakota
|
|
| Nearest city | Custer, South Dakota |
| Range | Black Hills |
| Coordinates | 43°50′28″N 103°32′40″W / 43.84111°N 103.54444°W |
| Climbing type | traditional face and crack climbing and bouldering |
| Height | 500 feet |
| Pitches | 1 to 4 |
| Grades | 5.0-5.13 |
| Rock type | granite, pegmatite |
| Quantity of rock | years worth ( 2,000 summits) |
| Development | well developed |
| Cliff aspect | mixed mainly traditional climbing |
| Season | spring to fall |
| Ownership | State park |
| Camping | none |
| Classic climbs |
|
| Stars |  |
The Needles are a special area in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It's a place with many tall, thin rock formations. These rocks are made of granite and look like giant needles or towers. They were shaped over a very long time by erosion, which is when wind and water wear away rock.
You can find The Needles inside Custer State Park. It's a popular spot for both rock climbers and tourists. You can reach it by driving on the Needles Highway, which is part of Sylvan Lake Road. A special part of The Needles, called the Cathedral Spires and Limber Pine Natural Area, became a National Natural Landmark in 1976. This means it's a very important natural place. It covers 637 acres and has six ridges of these rock pillars, plus some unique limber pine trees.
Did you know The Needles were first considered for the famous Mount Rushmore carvings? The artist, Gutzon Borglum, decided not to use them. He thought the granite wasn't strong enough. Also, the rock formations were too thin to hold the huge sculptures. Today, about 300,000 people visit The Needles every year.
Contents
Rock Climbing Adventures
The Needles are famous for their challenging rock climbing. Many skilled climbers have explored these unique spires.
Early Climbers and New Routes
In 1936, a climber named Fritz Wiessner successfully climbed a formation called the Totem Pole. The next year, he climbed Khayyam Spire with Bill House and Lawrence Coveney.
A few years later, in 1947, Jan and Herb Conn moved to the area. They became very important to climbing in The Needles. Over the next 20 years, they were the first to climb more than 220 different routes!
Famous Climbs and Bold Moves
In 1952, Fred Beckey and John Dudra climbed Rubaiyat Spire and Khayyam Spire. The 1960s saw more amazing climbs. People like Royal Robbins and Henry Barber created many brave and difficult climbing paths.
One of the most impressive climbs was in 1961. John Gill did a free solo climb of a route on The Thimble. This means he climbed it without any ropes or safety gear! This climb was rated 5.12a, which is a very high difficulty level. It was one of the first climbs ever done at that grade and is still considered a huge challenge today. In 1991, John Sherman also did a free solo climb of Gill's difficult route.
Images for kids
-
A roadside needle
