Birdwatching

birding in Spearfish

The Spearfish area contains great bird habitats: Ponderosa pine forests, flowing mountain streams with rich vegetation, aspen groves, lakes, burned areas, mixed grassland hills, potholes and marshes, pastureland and urban parks.

This diversity of habitat provides a home for scores of migratory and resident birds — some of which are found in few other locations in South Dakota. Your trip to Spearfish is a great opportunity to add some birds to your “life list.”

And you don’t even have to venture far from your hotel or campground. The city of Spearfish maintains an amazing recreation path — most of which follows Spearfish Creek through town. The creek — together with 16 parks along the 8-mile recreation path, the enormous Spearfish City Park and the D.C. Booth Historic Fish Hatchery — all offer close and easy opportunities for successful bird watching during your Spearfish vacation. You can pick up a free bird checklist at the Visit Spearfish office before you begin your journey.

Keep an eye open for some of these coveted Black Hills species: ruffed grouse, Lewis’s woodpecker, red-naped sapsucker, gray jay, canyon wren, lazuli bunting, American dipper, three-toed woodpecker, black-backed woodpecker and Clark’s nutcracker. n

more information

Pick up a FREE Bird Checklist at

Visit Spearfish on the corner of Main St. & Hudson St. Downtown Spearfish

Ruffed grouse Juvenile great horned owl

Photo by Les Heiserman “Path Les Traveled”

American dipper