Subscribe
Latest Activity
-
About
Dr. Del Tackett is the author, architect and teacher for Focus on the Family's The Truth Project, a nationwide initiative designed to bring the Christian worldview to the body of Christ.
-
By Month
-
- ►March
- ►February
- ►January
- ►2009
- ►2008
- ►2007
-
Links
© 2008 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved.
Custer State Park: Needles Highway
Posted on July 22, 2009
Filed Under Personal |
Custer State Park is huge.
73,000 acres, in fact—making it one of the largest in the nation.
There are several driving loops within her boundaries. One is called “Needles Highway”. When it was first built in 1922, the locals called it “Needless Highway”—I suppose because of the cost. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. The loop takes you through a world of granite formations that I find fascinating.
One is called the “The Needles Eye” and it certainly looks just as it sounds. Another was called the “Cathedral Spires”. We pulled over at a lookout, but I noticed a large rock formation across the road that was not only begging to be climbed, but promised a better picture of the Spires.
So I did and it was.
Spectacular, actually. They looked like pipes for a cathedral organ.
At the entrance to Needles Drive was a warning sign—warning would-be travelers not about falling rocks or lions or tigers or bears (oh, my!), but about tunnels—very small tunnels, blasted out of the solid granite rock. Tunnels that your poor vehicle could end up getting wedged into if too large.
The sign listed their sizes: 10’ high by 10’ wide, 9’ x 12’, 8’ x 12’, etc. I had to pull my side mirrors in for one of them.
Signs stated they were one-lane only (oh, really?).
Life has these little tunnels as well. You have to slow down, wait for other people (can you believe it?), walk carefully, and if you are too big (speaking of head-size, not body size!) you are going to get into trouble. Uzziah was a great king until he arrived at verse 16 (2 Chronicles 26): “But when Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.”
Very sad story, by the way.
God says the He is opposed to the proud (James 4:6);
He detests the proud of heart (Proverbs 16:5);
He knows the proud from afar (Psalm 138:6);
a proud heart precedes a man’s downfall (Proverbs 18:2);
He scatters those who are proud in their inmost thoughts (Luke 1:51).
I harp on my Seminary students and my Institute students that they should consider pride to be the most ugly, hideous, disgusting virus known to man…and run from it.
1 Peter 5:5 reiterates that God is opposed to the proud. If so, then I cannot think of greater opponent than God himself. Ironic, isn’t it. The more grand we think of ourselves, the smaller we become in the presence of the Divine Opponent.
For sure, getting through the tunnels of life with a proud heart will be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Just pulling in the side mirrors won’t help much.
Comments
19 Responses to “Custer State Park: Needles Highway”
Leave a Reply
Comments are moderated and will not appear on deltackett.com until they've been approved. While we are eager to facilitate conversation by publishing most comments, we may withhold one from time to time if we deem it offensive, vulgar, overly personal, cynical, disrespectful, irrelevant, redundant or unnecessarily contentious. While we encourage you not to make others' misspellings and grammatical mistakes an issue of debate, please do your best to double-check your spelling, use correct capitalization, and use proper grammar.
Comments on Del Tackett's blog may not refer specifically to any current electoral candidate, or any measure on a current ballot – at any level of local, state, or federal government. Focus on the Family is a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity, and therefore cannot take a position on specific votes. Nor can we display any such statements on our Web sites. Likewise, we cannot discuss here the personal viewpoints of people like Dr. Dobson or Jim Daly on political candidates or ballot measures. Any posts to this forum which violate these rules will be removed. There is an alternative venue for this type of discussion. Some activities of this nature are undertaken by Focus on the Family Action, a 501(c)(4) organization, and its media outlet, Citizenlink.
Dr. Del,
When reading your “tunnel” post and your reference to King Uzziah, this came to mind:
Matthew 7:13 (NIV) 13″Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
If we completely surrender to the Lord and make His word “a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”; then by His grace the path that we travel will be both narrow and righteous. It is the sin of pride that broadens ones path and leads us to eternal loss.
Thanks for sharing your vacation!
In Christ,
Dan…
So glad you’re enjoying our part of the world! It always amazes me to watch those big tour buses come through the very top tunnel - with only an inch on either side! Now I’ll think of your analogy to pride whenever I go there. While you’re in Custer stop at the Purple Pie Place - awesome pie!
South Dakota is the original location of the Garden of Eden…but I digress. Del, thank you for your insight into little tunnels, or view through them, and how similar they are to human pride. There are so many little tunnels that we have to negotiate in everyday life. Some little tunnels may look like, being too proud to stoop down and pick up our paper towel that missed the trashcan. Other little tunnels may scratch our mirrors of pride when we will only volunteer to do those tasks at church where many will see our labor and praise us for it. I never thought about pride being like a little tunnel. Maybe pride and riches both share the same struggle as a camel going through the eye of a needle.
boy you sure know how to hit at home with these words of wisdom. i’ve been having heated discussions with people who support homosexual rights to marry and we just end up arguing points back and forth not really gaining any ground. my pride is getting in the way of the good news message of Jesus although it starts out that way but so many people i’ve been into contact with reject Jesus’ teachings and aren’t swayed by what the bible says or they use the bible to justify their arugmemt. i need to let God work in these people and just shut my mouth… he needs to work in me too.
Excessive pride is bad, and what is more prideful than the attitude of the religious?
-My beliefs are the only correct ones.
-Only my holy book is the infallible word of God.
-Nothing anyone can say or show me has any chance of changing my mind because of my great faith.
Thank you for the pictures and bring back happy
childhood memories. I grew up in Rapid City, and
our family had a cabin in Custer State Park not far from Sylvan Lake. We always knew how beautiful that area was. I want to share this website with my friends to show them where I grew up and to read your entries.
Thank you also for the word pictures and truth lessons.
Leanne
I think pride is what started the whole thing on a downhill slide, when Satan said, “I will…”
That said, the God who made heaven and earth is entitled to say whatever He wishes. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” He also said, regarding the Bible, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
Christians should be mindful to behave wisely toward non-Christians, but we can never back away from nor apologize for eternal truths. The above are not my beliefs, but things that Jesus Christ said. Jesus had problems with the religious leaders of His day, but also had a great love for everyone. He still has that love.
As far as Jesus is concerned, I believe we must choose from one of the following:
Jesus thought what He was saying was true, but it wasn’t, and He was a kook.
Jesus knew what He was saying wasn’t true, and He was a liar.
Jesus knew what He was saying was true, and He is Lord.
There were times when Jesus said, “O ye of little faith.” There are times I’m certain He says that about me. It isn’t about my great faith, but rather the great God in Whom I put my faith.
Two plus two is four. That is truth. When you’re first learning math you may try to find another answer, but after a while you realize that two plus two is four and you don’t need to examine any other so-called solutions. This is, if you will, an eternal truth.
And so it is with the Bible, and so it is with the Christian faith. It isn’t pride that keeps us from looking elsewhere. We have examined the evidence and found the Bible to be true. But its more than the empirical evidence. We have found the Bible to be true in our lives. It works. So, just like two plus two, we need look no further. This is the answer.
Mike,
Very well said indeed!
As fallen creatures who by His grace have been rescued, we are simultaneously convicted and comforted by the undeniable Truth of the Lord.
Praise be given only to our Lord and Savior, not to ourselves!
Dan…
I too am from SD and love CSP!
I loved Mike’s math analogy! I remember asking ‘who says’ about math a lot. I never related it to my faith before, and this made me smile. I am glad that the Bible is true because God says it is, and not because the majority agree it is (like we do with math, language, etc to communicate ideas). Hope that sense to those who are reading it…I don’t know how to explain it better without a lot more words!
Del, Apreciated your blog on your vacation in the Black Hills. I was discussing this incredible area with a man that made dinosaur bones. When I asked him if he believed in creation or evolution, he responded ” he did not know what to believe concerning either subject, but knew that something special happened there.” This area declares the glory of God! My family and I had a great time there. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.
Hi Del, Wow! I’m glad you and whoever else was with you in those tunnels were not claustrophobic! Hope to visit there some day. God has definately given us so much beauty to enjoy. Sure enjoy the Spoke Word in you blogs. Have a blessed filled day!
Thank you for sharing your experience. I find in prayer, in my journey with God that when I empty myself of ego, then I may ask for God’s grace to enter so I may do his work. For me, humility is not thinking less of myself, but thinking of myself less. But for the grace of God go I. Have a blessed day.
Thinking of pride, it makes me realize that I need to be mindful of how I need to always remember that pride can make me think more of myself…when it is the Lord who accomplishes things not me.
Del,
Did you also see the 4 faces through each of the small tunnels? They all line up with Mount Rushmore. It is a wonderful area with lots of wild life to see and the splendor of God’s creation, although a fallen creation.
Enjoyed the photos.
So glad you appreciate God’s creation!
Wonderful example of our daily lives. Just about the time you think you have finally killed self, he rises bigger than before! We can all take a lesson from this. Thanks Del for sharing it.
Del, thank you for your story and message. My family and I travel full time around the U.S. I keep up a blog about our trip. Here is a recent entry about Needles Hwy. By the way, we did not see the sign that said one tunnel was 8′4″ wide…
DO NOT PULL A TRAILER ON NEEDLES HIGHWAY!
Do you want to know why I say this, or how I know it should not be done? Yes, we were the dumb ones on Needles Highway in the Black Hills of South Dakota last week, pulling a trailer.
We arrived in South Dakota on July 18th. It is a beautiful drive as we wound our way up the mountains. We passed through Hot Springs and then up to Wind Cave State Park. We searched for buffalo, just hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of them on a distant hill. We did, and it was very distant. Little did we know that in a couple days we would be surrounded by them. We parked at American Presidents campground. It is a great place to stay. We liked our site, I think it was 21. We had a beautiful view of the mountains from our table in the camper. I enjoyed a few mornings in a lawn chair with coffee, reading my bible, with the Black Hills as my back drop. There was a ranch right there also, so we were able to enjoy the view of the horses all day. The campground has free mini golf, and a pool, which was too cold, and a hot tub. We hiked quite a bit around the campground. The rocks here were amazing! Shiny stones everywhere on the ground! We could pick up quartz everywhere! We found many beautiful stones right next to our camper.
We loved going to Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park. I’ll talk you later about those places, and the buffalo, and almost running out of gas, and gold panning, and 4 wheeling in the Bad Lands, and THE PLAGUE! YES, THE PLAGUE! But for now, let me finish my story about NEEDLES HIGHWAY.
There is an amazing road that leads to Mt. Rushmore from Custer. There are two sections of it. We decided to drive around by Crazy Horse. We didn’t actually go in the museum/monument. We saw it from the road. There is a parking lot you can park in and look at it. We continued on to Mt. Rushmore. What a wonderful experience! It only cost $10 for our whole vehicle for a year! We hiked the President’s trail that brought us closer to the monument. The history is amazing on how and why this was built. There was a great visitor’s center underneath, by the ampitheater. After a wonderful afternoon there, we left and headed on the Needles Highway home. We found a little place to stop and have a picnic. The road was built by an architect specifically for beauty and to compliment Mt. Rushmore. The are piggy tail bridges built along this road. They are unique bridges built in the shape of a pig’s tail. There was not enough room for switchbacks inbetween the tunnels, so the architect designed these bridges. They are pretty fun and interesting. The tunnels are carved out of the rock. They are very small and only one car can go through at a time. We didn’t have any problem getting our van through. You are supposed to honk before you pull through one, incase someone is on the other side coming the opposite direction.
About a week later, we decided to go through the second part of Needles Highway and go to Sylvan Lake up higher in the mountains. We didn’t look at the map, just went by memory. We drove on Custer State Park and went north on Needles Highway. There were no signs saying how small the tunnels were. Oh, by the way, we were hauling our 8′ wide flat bed trailer with 4 atvs and 3 kayaks. It was easier to leave the atvs on and haul them with the kayaks, than to take them off. So, here we are, heading up a mountain, with very few places to turn around with a trailer behind us full of toys. We came to the first tunnel, and made it through ok. We noticed it seemed to be smaller than the ones from the other day. We stopped further up the hill so Shae could take a phone call. I told him I thought we should go ahead and turn around. The road was very narrow and made me a little nervous with our load and all. No, he said, we can do it. So, up we go, higher and higher. Now, the road is even smaller, the ledges on the side steeper, and I feel like our van and trailer is getting bigger and bigger! There was nowhere to turn around, and I think all of us were feeling a little nervous now! We came to the second and last tunnel and saw the sign. It read, “8′ 4″ wide” Yikes! Our trailer is 8′ wide! That leaves us 2 inches on each side of the trailer! I said, “Shae, don’t do it. We will get stuck right in the middle. We’ll get wedged in and someone will have to yank us out!” Well, bad news, there is no where to turn around! We had to go through the tunnel! We all got extremely serious and held our breath as Shae started to drive through a very long and skinny tunnel. I was afraid to even look behind me at the trailer and see just how close it was. Shae inched his way through, knowing we could hit the side at any time. We kept going, and going, and going, and going, until finally, we made it! Yippee! Well, it wasn’t quite over. Since we had the trailer on the back, we need to pull totally out of the trailer before we start to turn to the right. Not gonna happen. There was a whole line of cars waiting to go throught the tunnel. They were waiting right our exit to the tunnel. Shae pulled forward oh so carefully and barely, I don’t think I really want to know how barely, he turned to the right, just missing that ladies van. He leaned out our window and said to her, “Boy, that was close!”
Well, you might say we had a happy ending. I’m not quite sure I would agree. We finished the drive to stunning lake to find a huge storm awaiting us. We couldn’t even walk by the lake because the rain started right after we arrived. We hung out in the gift shop, until we realized the bad weather was there to stay. So, we jumped back in the van and saw the sign for Custer, 7 miles! We had just driven at least 16 miles through tiny tunnels, mountain passes, steep ledges, and many cars to find out we could have driven on an easy road only six miles.
It was one of those times we just had to make the decision to laugh and not cry. It was a crazy adventure, one we will not forget. So, the moral of the story? Don’t pull a trailer on Needles Highway!
The Needles Hwy is closed to traffic in the winter, which makes it a fantastic hiking trail from Sylvan Lake up thru the tunnel. Great place to enjoy the solitude and beauty of God’s creation.
We were there last fall–mid-September! Talk about beautiful! And the tunnels!! Did you find and/or drive the pigtail bridge? That was very interesting, too! Thanks for the tunnel/narrow path analogy. So true.