Experience Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota

Under a blue sky with puffy white clouds early morning Autumn sunlit glistens on a silvery mist cast by a falling rush of water at Spearfish Falls in Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota.

Six weeks ago I made a weekend trip to Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota. Since moving to North Dakota in 2018 I have experienced some of the most beautiful places but was truly unprepared for the incredible beauty about to unfold before me at Spearfish Canyon.

Leaving the interstate at Belfield, North Dakota I drove south through cattle country which varies from flat to hills but often featureless. Lots of wide open spaces. "Miles and miles of miles and miles", I thought to myself as I drove but even then there was beauty in the emptiness. Some years ago I formed the habit of enjoying the journey as much as the destination and watching the scenery change along the way an occasional cell phone shot through the window was irresistible especially when I saw these buttes in the distance. One doesn't see things like that where I'm from in Georgia.

A view through a car window of buttes and hills under a cloudy sky in the distance across a grassy plain somewhere North of Belle Forche, South Dakota. — Buttes and hills along U.S. Route 85 in South Dakota

In Awe of Spearfish Canyon

Arriving in Spearfish I turned right onto Spearfish Canyon Highway and the canyon walls began to tower around me offering a first clue of the grandeur I was about to see. It takes about fifteen minutes to reach Spearfish Canyon Lodge from U.S. Route 85 and driving toward it the highway meanders into the canyon mostly following Spearfish Creek. Despite the deep curves it was difficult to keep my eyes on the road because as I drove the beauty of the canyon became even more amazing in the golden light of late afternoon.

A windshield view of Spearfish Canyon Highway. A curve in the road leads right acccompanied by a guardrail while the beautiful Autumn colors in the canyon trees stand on the hills beyond. — It seemed every curve brought even more incredible views of Spearfish Canyon.

October was perfect timing too since the beautiful colors of Autumn filled the trees lining the canyon floor and others high on the limestone walls rising into the sky. So majestic. In fact, because it's so beautiful it's also very popular and thankfully there are several pulloffs along the way to stop and enjoy the scenery. I eagerly pulled into one with a nice view of the creek and grabbed the camera and tripod.

From a pulloff beside Spearfish Canyon Road one views the towering limestone walls of Spearfish Canyon while Spearfish Creek meanders beside the highway spilling over rocks among a green and yellow woodland. Diagonal lines in the canyon walls show the upward shift of the land over time. — A view from a roadside pulloff near Spearfish Creek.

Over the years I mostly relied on wide angle lenses for landscape photography but more recently the 70-200mm has become a regular option and it was perfect for the image below. The picture I had in mind was upstream out of reach and a wide angle lens would have diminished everything in the scene but with the long telephoto I was able to zoom in to catch this lovely image of golden Autumn colors and water flowing soft and fuzzy over the rocks. By this time the light was growing dim taking the colors vibrance with it so I continued on to Spearfish Canyon Lodge; also splendid and the perfect place to rest after a day of traveling and photographing.

A closeup view of Spearfish Creek flowing over large limestone rocks surrounded by hardwoods in beatiful Autumn colors of yellow and green. — Spearfish Creek at Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota

A Wonderful Stay at Spearfish Canyon Lodge

After the experience of seeing the canyon for the first time I might be hard to impress but Spearfish Canyon Lodge and their staff did just that. Originally, I planned to stay in downtown Spearfish, South Dakota and drive into the canyon but the convenience of the lodge made rooming there an easy choice and probably the best decision of the trip.

The warm, rustic wood exterior of Spearfish Canyon Lodge and the sign in front of it invites visitors in as Spearfish Canyon walls overlook in the distance. — Spearfish Canyon Lodge. The perfect place to call home for a weekend of hiking and exploring.

The front desk staff were welcoming and helpful as could be and with a smile. A warm ambience surrounds the lodge itself with it's rustic setting in the heart of Spearfish Canyon and with the Latchstring Restaurant right across the street it is a wonderful and convenient place to be during a visit to the canyon. Check out this view of the lobby from the balcony going up to my room. Could anything be more warm, welcome and comfy? I digress.

The warmth of a fire blazes from a stone hearth and chimney in a lobby of pine walls trimmed in stone at Spearfish Canyon Lodge on a cool October night. Comfortable leather chairs are lit by lamps made of deer antlers. An Autumn arrangement of pumpkins and scarecrows line the hearth in the warm light of fireplace and lamps. — The lobby at Spearfish Canyon Lodge. How comfy and inviting is that.

From my room window was a view of trees with golden leaves and silvery bark and those amazing canyon walls towering beyond. Cranking the window open I realized the creek was fifty yards or so away and I slept well that night in a comfy bed with cool air through the window and the sound of water rushing over rocks in the creek. It was heavenly.

A nighttime image of an aluminum canoe sitting on wooden blocks as a display on the porch at Spearfish Canyon Lodge. The interior of the canoe is lit stem to stern by flames dancing over lava rocks. — Did I mention the flaming canoe on the porch of Spearfish Canyon Lodge? Wow!

Hiking Spearfish Canyon

Early Saturday morning I took the hiking trail to the left directly behind the lodge in search of waterfalls. The morning was very cool and quiet and perfect for a hike through a woodland of trees with silver bark and beautiful Autumn colors. I was surrounded by large rocks with beautiful textures, the smell of earth and fallen leaves and the sound of water rushing through the nearby creek.

A hiking trail filled with Autumn leaves threads it's way through a stand of hardwoods with silvery bark at Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota. — The smell of earth, fallen leaves and beautiful woodland on a trail at Spearfish Canyon.

I kept thinking that I needed to turn back and take another trail in search of waterfalls but every turn in the trail brought another incredible view and this beautiful place kept drawing me onward. Eventually I came upon a view of the canyon walls ahead where sunrise lit the limestone cliffs and trees atop them. Unbelievable. It was a blessing to see nature at it's finest and a wonderful way to start the day. But, it was just getting started.

A woodland mix of pine and hardwoods stands in Autumn colors of yellow and green with the sunlit walls of Spearfish Canyon in the distance. — Sunrise illuminates the canyon walls viewed from a hiking trail at Spearfish Canyon.

A hiking trail leads into a pine woodland with Autumn colors of hardwoods while the white of limestone canyon walls can be seen in the distance under blue skies.

The Wonder of Spearfish Falls

On the north side of the parking lot at Latchstring Restaurant a hiking trail winds downhill and crosses Spearfish Creek, through a woodland and on to Spearfish Falls. From a height of 50 feet the falls crash into the pool at the overlook casting a sparkling mist in the cool morning air. My first opportunity to photograph a waterfall was awe inspiring; the power of the water over the falls, the mist through the trees, golden sunlight and Autumn colors. I tried to photograph the falls from every angle available while I had the opportunity and the results are quite nice for my first waterfall pictures.

Spearfish Falls fills the picture appearing smooth and silky white against a backdrop of the canyon wall adorned in yellow, orange and green foliage. — Spearfish Falls at Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota.

Water rushes over Spearfish Falls dropping to the pool below in a silvery mist brightly lit and blowing through the air in the early morning sun. — Spearfish Falls at Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota.

Along the trail on the hike out from Spearfish Falls I noticed at the bridge over Spearfish Creek a small path that leads down to the creek. From there I setup the tripod, balanced on rocks in the water and made this cool image that I think really captures the motion of water rushing by. So cool and pretty.

A closeup view of rushing waters at Spearfish Creek surrounded by yellow and green Autumn woodlands.

Breathtaking Views of Roughlock Falls

Returning to the lodge and the trail I began with earlier in the morning I turned right instead of left and began a two mile round trip hike to Roughlock Falls. One can drive Roughlock Falls Road to a parking area near the falls but I chose to hike and am so glad I did. The canyon views along the way are beautiful and I would have missed them had I driven.

At one point I came upon a lesser used trail leading into an open area around the creek and the views of the creek, trees and canyon walls were wonderful. I could not believe how clear the creek water is.

The clear waters o Spearfish Creek surrounded by yellow and green trees flow through Spearfish Canyon bubbling over rocks along the way. — Near Roughlock Falls at Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota. Water in the creek is perfectly clear. Beautiful.

Crystal clear waters of Spearfish Creek meander through a meadow and the walls of Spearfish Canyon rise in the distance adorned in the greens and yellows of woodland under a blue cloud filled Autumn sky.

Scenes like these along the trail to Roughlock Falls stopped me regularly to set the tripod and make pictures. There were many people on the trail that day aged 5 years old to eighty and several smiled and asked if I was getting some good shots. I smiled back and replied, "Around here it's hard not to." and they could not agree more.

Limestone cliffs of Spearfish Canyon rise above yellow and green trees under a blue cloud filled sky.

Roughlock Falls is a multi-tiered waterfall. The main falls drop down onto the rocks below creating many smaller waterfalls. The midafternoon sun in the southern sky lit the foliage around the falls bathing them in a golden glowing light. Aside from Bridal Veil Falls on the main road, popular for it's easy accessibility, Roughlock Falls is very popular so I chose a spot farther back on the viewing platform and used the long lens to zoom in and avoid the crowds closer to the falls. It's probably less busy in the morning especially in the cool air of Autumn but if you plan to photograph consider where the sun is at the time of year for the best light.

The main falls of Roughlock Falls in South Dakota spill down onto several smaller waterfalls surrounded by tall grasses backlit by golden late afternoon sunlit. — Roughlock Falls at Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota.

The picture possibilities here are wonderful and while I zoomed the lens out to capture a broader view, zooming in on the smaller parts of the falls yielded some beautiful results too.

Sparkling waters of Roughlock Falls pour down over green lichen covered rocks into several smaller waterfalls — Zooming in on the smaller falls at Roughlock Falls reveals the beauty of the smaller falls and the beautiful greens of the plant life there.