Iron Mountain Road, Custer, South Dakota, USA

Iron Mountain Road, Custer, South Dakota, USA

Iron Mountain Road, also known as 16A or switchback heaven, is an incredible journey, an unforgettable experience. We believe that it is the most unusual and captivating road in America.

Everyone that has experienced this 17 mile stretch in the Black Hills of South Dakota leaves with an opinion about this road, either good or bad this road will leave an impression. We want folks to learn about and appreciate this road for what it is, a historical work of art designed to make you slow down, to see and feel things that you don’t experience every day.

Iron Mountain Road – PigtailsWith the beauty of the mountains and valleys as its backdrop, this road was specifically designed with a tremendous amount of curves, including what we refer to as switchbacks, in order to limit the speed of travelers to 35 miles per hour so that they could enjoy the beauty of the Black Hills.

What makes this road so unique and memorable is not just the amount of curves and the surrounding beauty, but also the architectural features found along this road. These features include wooden structures, called pigtail bridges, and one lane tunnels that were built to showcase the American patriotic symbol, Mt. Rushmore.

These tunnels frame Mt. Rushmore National Memorial like a picture frame and are a spectacular site – depending on which direction you are traveling, you may have to look in your rear view mirror to experience this wonder.

Along this 17 mile journey you will not only experience the architectural wonders of this road, but also the wonders of Mother Nature. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself stopped in the middle of a buffalo herd as they cross the road, grazing and nurturing their young.

Take time to look around, you most likely will see antelope, deer and turkey, or you could even spot big horn sheep or a mountain lion. Every trip along this road will be a different experience. In order to experience everything the road has to offer you should travel it in both directions – you will see and experience different things each way.

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