September 30, 2024
This is the last Spearfish Canyon Leaf Report for 2024. The fall foliage in Spearfish Canyon was still very colorful this morning with bright red sumac and golden birch. Our weather forecast for this week includes warm, but mild temperatures and no forecasted precipitation. This indicates the first week of October will still be prime leaf-watching time!
Leaf drop is still minimal but some trees around Long Valley Picnic Area and Kissing Rocks have noticeable leaf loss.
Color Change: Post Peak Colors (but still at 95% of total color saturation)
Leaf Drop: Minimal
This is the last Spearfish Canyon Leaf Report for 2024. I have a surprise for my fellow leaf lovers! Check out this video https://youtu.be/NBusk3fRmYc to see the fall progression of one of the Canyon’s best leaf viewing spots.
The fall foliage in Spearfish Canyon was still very colorful this morning with bright red sumac and golden birch. Our weather forecast for this week includes warm, but mild temperatures and no forecasted precipitation. This indicates the first week of October will still be prime leaf-watching time!
Leaf drop is still minimal but some trees around Long Valley Picnic Area and Kissing Rocks have noticeable leaf loss. Yet, there are some trees that will still transition to their peak color over the next week or two. When I determine percentages for color change, I take into account vegetation up and down the Canyon. Some trees fit into the broader changes in the Canyon, but some trees always progress into fall on their own mysterious timeline.
Thanks for reading and exploring along with me this year!
September 27, 2024
It’s peak leaf watching time in Spearfish Canyon! This weekend you will see once-in-a-season foliage. The birch and aspen are golden throughout the Canyon. Dogwood and sumac bushes are mauve, purple, and ruby red. When I drove through the Canyon this morning, I noticed trees I have not seen all season. Even the smallest deciduous trees seem to pop against the dark evergreens and mountain cliffs right now.
Color Change: 95% (High)
Leaf Drop: Minimal
It’s peak leaf watching time in Spearfish Canyon! This weekend you will see once-in-a-season foliage. The birch and aspen are golden throughout the Canyon. Dogwood and sumac bushes are mauve, purple, and ruby red. When I drove through the Canyon this morning, I noticed trees I have not seen all season. Even the smallest deciduous trees seem to pop against the dark evergreens and mountain cliffs right now.
Here are a couple spots to watch for: When you approach the Devil’s Bathtub Parking sign from Spearfish, look up and to the left (east). There is a grove of golden trees on the high peaks there that is easy to miss. My favorite spot today was right after Long Valley Picnic Area. The byway faces a Canyon wall straight on that is layered with gorgeous fall trees.
Please drive slow through the Canyon this weekend. Watch for pedestrians and wildlife crossing the road, along with bicyclists. There will likely be some rock debris on the road. Stay on designated trails to protect the Canyon’s growth.
Today, I even spied Smokey Bear who is a great reminder of forest safety. The U.S. Forest Service has trail resources available at the Bridal Veil Falls and Savoy pull-off areas until 2 p.m. today.
Enjoy the season in full splendor in Spearfish!
September 25, 2024
Spearfish Canyon is at 85% of its total fall color saturation and is nearing its peak and most vibrant fall colors. Nearly every turn along the byway is bursting with golden hues from birch, aspen, and elms. My favorite areas today were the uppermost elevations near Calamity Gulch as you’re driving into the Canyon from Spearfish and between Botany Bay and Bridal Veil Falls.
Color Change: 85% (High)
Leaf Drop: Minimal
Spearfish Canyon is at 85% of its total fall color saturation and is nearing its peak and most vibrant fall colors. Nearly every turn along the byway is bursting with golden hues from birch, aspen, and elms. My favorite areas today were the uppermost elevations near Calamity Gulch as you’re driving into the Canyon from Spearfish and between Botany Bay and Bridal Veil Falls. Locate these spots on the Spearfish Canyon Leaf Watching Map
The trees surrounding the Bridal Veil Falls overlook have not yet reached peak color, but look into the upper cliffs to the southwest as you approach the parking area for a beautiful display of fall colors. Between Botany Bay and Bridal Veil is also where I saw 10 mountain goats grazing this evening! They hung around for several hours. I still expect a bit more color change around Victoria and Long Valley Picnic Area. It was at least 10 degrees cooler in the Canyon, compared to the mini heat wave we’re experiencing today and into the weekend. Step outside your car and feel those Canyon cool breezes!
More often than not, I see people fly fishing at the Maurice Intake when I’m surveying the Canyon. The water is shallow there, only about 4 feet at its max and the area is easily accessible from a pull-off right next to the Canyon byway.
Maurice gets its name from the old town site that was once located there. The hydro plant at Maurice was one of two hydroelectric plants built and used by the Homestake Mining Company to support mining operations. The Maurice hydro plant was completed in 1917. Building the Maurice water diversion was a decade-long undertaking. The process involved cutting through rock, laying tunnels, and placing trestles to redirect the powerful Spearfish Creek to the hydroelectric plants at Maurice and in Spearfish.
Homestake used the power generated from the Maurice Diversion for nearly 100 years, then sold the facility to the City of Spearfish. To control the facility, the City needed to get licensed to run the hydro plant by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). A stipulation of that license was to release some water to the downstream habitat. Several miles of creek channel dried up as a result of the early 1900s diversion.
The Maurice Diversion is actually designed to overflow. There is a maximum amount of water that can come through the 5-mile underground tunnel to Spearfish. When large rainfall amounts accumulate or snow melts in the spring, the excess flows over and into the natural stream bed. As I talked about in my September 3, 2024 leaf report, Spearfish Creek runs through the Canyon until around Split Rock. Split Rock is a water loss zone. Water disappears underground through the porous limestone. Some believe that if Spearfish Creek didn’t divert water at Maurice, there would be much less water as we know it in Spearfish Creek, especially in dry years like we’ve had this year.