Spearfish Falls near Savoy on a recent summer Sunday afternoon. (Photo by Hillary Dobbs-Davis)
There is never a time of year when Spearfish Canyon is not one of the most beautiful places in the Black Hills.
Fall is probably the most popular, when the sky is even more impossibly blue and the trees light the canyon on fire with color. Winter comes with flawless snow that envelops everything, muffling the rush of Spearfish Creek. Spring brings flowers and green buds and lightness and the kind of breeze that carries the relief from winter and the hope for summer.
And summer, well, summer’s just pretty much good for everything. The canyon foliage is green and warm and bright, and the creek “crick†if you’re local offers the perfect respite from hot days.
The lower portion of Roughlock Falls (Photo by Hillary Dobbs-Davis)
The creek offers an added bonus, too: the waterfalls. Three to be exact. Bridal Veil is slightly closer to the Spearfish side of the canyon and can be seen from the road. Roughlock Falls is about a mile from the road at Savoy. Spearfish Falls is a short hike from the Spearfish Canon Lodge, also near Savoy. And stopping by all three is a great way to kill a morning or an afternoon on a hot summer day.
Watching all the water will probably make you a bit thirsty, so you might want to tack on a stop at Crow Peak Brewery in Spearfish.
The small, local brewery offers a great selection of hand-crafted beers like “Pile of Dirt Porter†and “11th Hour IPA†(named after a spot in Spearfish Canyon that only receives one hour of sunlight a day).
They also let you bring in your own food, so grab a burrito from Barbacoa’s, head over to Crow Peak Brewery, kick back and enjoy these last few days of summer.
If you go
Barbacoa’s
305 West Jackson Boulevard
Spearfish, SD 57783
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Crow Peak Brewery
From I-90, take exit 10
Turn left (if coming from the east) or right (if coming from the west)
Make the first right onto Old Highway 14 (service road).
Hours
- 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday
- 2 p.m. to 12 a.m. Fridays
- 12:00pm – 12:00am Saturdays
- 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays
Crow Peak generally stays open as long as folks are still sipping their beers.
