Spearfish Canyon

Spearfish Canyon is beauty unique to each season. Fall dazzles with great colors when the aspen and birch turn golden yellow and the oak and sumac flame shades of red. The Canyon is equally awe-inspiring in winter when heavy, wet snow piles up on the tree branches and canyon ridges. In springtime, the canyon renews itself becoming fresh and alive all over again. It is a favorite time for hikers, fishers, nature lovers, and photographers of all ages. Summer brings sightseers, picnickers, and bird watchers. WATERFALLS ARE A MUST Bridal Veil Falls can be seen right from the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. An observation deck located on the east side of the road provides a place to admire the falls and ample photo opportunities. The Roughlock Falls Nature Area is located in Spearfish Canyon near Savoy. Just one mile from the Scenic Byway, a short detour takes you to

one of the most beautiful locations in the Black Hills. Spearfish Falls is the most often missed of the three waterfalls. Visitors are encouraged to park at the Latchstring Inn Restaurant, located at Savoy, to access the trailhead. A short hike on Little Spearfish Trail leads to this fall. This is the perfect location to enjoy the song of the American Dipper. RECREATION Spearfish Canyon is a hikers and biker’s dream, with several marked Black Hills National Forest trails, as well as many unmarked local favorites. The topnotch limestone walls in the canyon are a haven for rock climbers showcasing classic pocket climbing. Whether you explore the canyon via motor power or manpower, it is an excellent place to enjoy a picnic in an organized picnic area or a spot off the beaten path. FALL BEAUTY When the colors change, the adventure and beauty heightens in Spearfish. Every September and October visitors from around the world come to experience the fall splendor of the Spearfish Canyon. On average, the colors begin to change in mid-September and peak the first week of October. Every year is different; so, give us a call for the local leaf forecast. CANYON BEGINNINGS Spearfish Canyon is twelvetimes older than the Grand Canyon. The canyon’s rich vegetation wears the mantle of being the most magnificent canyon in the west. Scientists have determined that Spearfish Canyon was formed 30 to 60 million years ago. As a great sea’s waters subsided it caused erosion of the softer rocks and volcanic action pushed from underneath; the combination created the canyon. It’s easy to see why this wonder of nature is a geologist’s paradise. The high canyon walls and deep canyon floor are composed of sandstone, shale, and dominantly limestone deposited in ancient oceans. The first commercial transportation through Spearfish Canyon was by train in 1893. When a flood-damaged the rail line in 1933, the track was

abandoned. Eventually, a road was laid directly on the old railway bed. Later, U.S. Highway 14A was constructed. GEOLOGY OF AREA Traveling through the canyon, three main layers of rock are distinctly visible. The highest peaks, typically the thickest part (up to 300 to 600 feet thick) are the Paha Sapa Limestone. It’s usually beige or tan with weathered gray areas, and it’s in this section of rock where people find the most fossils. The next level down is the Englewood Limestone, which can range from 30 to 60 feet thick. Englewood Limestone is quite often mauve, pink, or even red. The bottom layer is known as Deadwood Sandstone is normally a brown color and may appear to have different levels or layers. The Deadwood Sandstone layers can be 400 feet thick. Spearfish Creek, which flows south to north and freezes from the bottom up, is an angler’s dream. Designated as a Blue Ribbon Trout Stream, you can find someone fishing nearly year-round throughout the Canyon. The canyon teems with wildlife including whitetail and mule deer, chipmunks, mountain goats, an occasional mountain lion, and many other critters.