Photo: KimonBerlin · CC BY-SA 2.0Spearfish Falls
Worth the drive
Is it plungeworthy?
A horsetail on Spearfish Creek.
The details
- Type
- Horsetail
- Watercourse
- Spearfish Creek
- Coordinates
- 44.35288, -103.92956
About Spearfish Falls
Spearfish Falls is a 60-foot horsetail in South Dakota, on Spearfish Creek.
It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.
Plungeworthy rates Spearfish Falls 7.2/10 — worth the drive. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
Widely called the prettiest waterfall in the Black Hills, and the biggest-volume falls on the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway — 47 feet of Spearfish Creek pouring off the canyon wall. (Databases that say 60 feet have it mixed up with Bridal Veil Falls up the road.)
The backstory is the hook: in 1917, Homestake Gold Mine diverted the creek to a hydroelectric plant and the falls went completely dry — for 86 years. Flow wasn't restored until 2003. What you're looking at is a resurrected waterfall.
A short trail drops to the canyon floor for the full-frontal view; an overlook deck by the Latchstring Inn serves those who'd rather not descend.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- North side of the Latchstring Inn restaurant at Spearfish Canyon Lodge, Savoy
- Parking
- Lodge/trailhead parking at Savoy
- Road
- US 14A, Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway
- Heads up
- Shares the Spearfish Canyon Nature Area trail network with Roughlock Falls and Savoy Pond. Overlook deck on the south side of the restaurant for a no-hike view.
When to go
Year-round — the restored creek flow doesn't dry up seasonally the way runoff falls do.
Fall color is the photographer's window; winter mist builds ice sculptures on the surrounding rock.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- Free — no entrance fee for the Spearfish Canyon Nature Area
- Dogs
- Statewide SD GFP rule: leash 10 feet or less (Oct 1-Mar 31 off-leash-under-control exception)
- Hours
- Day use
- Camping
- None at the nature area
- Warnings
- Trail sections stay slick from spray.
Researched from SD Game, Fish & Parks — Spearfish Canyon Nature Area · Visit Spearfish — Spearfish Falls. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Spearfish Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
How tall is Spearfish Falls?
Spearfish Falls drops about 60 feet, in South Dakota.
Where is Spearfish Falls?
Spearfish Falls is a waterfall in South Dakota, at 44.35288, -103.92956.
Is Spearfish Falls worth visiting?
Worth the drive — Plungeworthy rates it 7.2/10.
Gear for the trip
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