September 7, 2023

Color Change: 1% (Very Low)

This is the first Spearfish Canyon Leaf Report of 2023. Color change is very minimal at this time, with a sprinkling of yellow from low-lying dogbane and stripes of red emerging from sumac and woodbine. Even this sampling of color change is still very sparse in the Canyon. Yellow dogbane can be observed near Victoria on the western side of the road and near Long Valley Picnic Area on the eastern side of the byway. No emergent fall colors were yet observed in birch and aspen. It is time to enjoy the lush greens resulting from a wet summer as we await the fall foliage.

Within boundaries of green trees and grasses, the Canyon’s scenic waterways are on show. Spearfish Creek is one of the Black Hills’ major streams. The Creek gets its start as a spring in the limestone plateau south of Spearfish, on the western side of the Black Hills. Flowing north through the Canyon, Spearfish Creek later joins the Redwater River (Belle Fourche River). Waterways in Spearfish Canyon have their own story and history, being utilized as food source by Native Americans and later Homestake Mining Company harnessing the power of the creek in their expansion in the early 1900s. Landmarks from Homestake’s expansion are still visible in the Canyon today, namely Hydropower Plant No. 2 and the hydroelectric plant at Maurice.

Download the Spearfish Canyon Leaf Watching Map to locate the landmarks and leaf watching spots mentioned in this report. It’s going to be a beautiful season watching the Canyon reveal her fall colors!