Author Archive - Julie Brazell

Needles Highway in Custer State Park

Posted: Monday, October 5, 2009 at 8:29 am
By: Julie Brazell
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The Needles Highway is a drive that produces photo worthy views year round. Right now the color of the changing leaves will add a few extra stops to your trip. Entering from Highway 16A on the southern end of the Needles Highway travelers will first see burr oaks scattered within the ponderosa pines.

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They are mostly green but some have changed to yellow and rusty orange. The next rich fall colors are from the paper birch and quaking aspen trees. For the first few miles many of the birches have bare tops having lost many leaves in the recent high winds. Not to worry, future sections will show the birches in full color. Besides the bright purples of the Redosier Dogwood and the soft green of the Russian Olive will keep the color seekers eyes occupied for a while.

Between miles five and nine get cameras ready. This is the best the Needle Highway has to offer. Aspen and birches are as common as the curves in the road. That is what makes this part fun.

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Each corner is a mystery as to what type of tree will be next. The added bonus is that both the aspen and birches are in many different stages of color change. Each corner could show green unchanged canopy, sun soaked yellows, or bare tops with ready to drop leaves on the lower branches.

Once in the granite formations of the Cathedral Spires and the Needles the birches and aspens still speckle the landscape but are farther along in the fall change. Some nice views of many spires outlined with the yellow of birch leaves is possible, but not for long.

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Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park

Posted: Monday, October 5, 2009 at 8:28 am
By: Julie Brazell
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The 34 mile loop is predominantly ponderosa pine forest and short grass prairie yet a leaf tour on the road can produce some nice photos. Starting at the Game Lodge campground green ash trees line Grace Coolidge creek and have turned yellow but have lost many leaves due to the recent high winds. The winds have sped up the dropping of leaves yet there are places were ash and other trees can be seen in full color. The burr oaks in this area are still dark green and glossy. To contrast the greens and yellow of the trees purple Woodbine vines have climbed high into many trees.

The next four miles of the loop road have scattered windblown cottonwoods and a few green ash trees by the airport. Watch for wildlife until reaching French Creek. This is a highlight for color. Many burr oaks have given in to the fall season while other are holding on to Summer, speckles of yellow are prominent in some trees while others are still quite green. The green ash trees have no doubt felt the fading summer light and present a vibrant yellow throughout the valley.

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Farther down the road, a few American elm trees in various hues of green can be found in the drainages. Next, a stretch of prairie where good summer rains produced thick grasses that still have some spots of green under the golden seed heads. The buffalo corrals have received some wind so many trees are stripped yet the ashes still with leaves have, at least for now, a fiery orange tint.

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Rounding the corner visitors may want to stop at the trailhead for the Prairie Trail. At this juncture the elms are a stark yellow contrast to the darker oaks. Plus some of the ash trees have the speckles of orange like sparks from a campfire.

Ahead the road will pass the Four Mile fire and a prairie dog town that is still ripe with activity. Eventually the loop mergers with Highway 87 where clumps of birch and aspen trees add new shades of green and yellow. Pass Mount Coolidge and connect with Highway 16A and notice the dry orange colors of the burr oaks as you finish the last miles of the drive.

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