Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway (US-14A) winds for 19 miles through a limestone canyon in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota between Spearfish and Cheyenne Crossing, following Spearfish Creek through a corridor of canyon walls, mixed ponderosa pine and hardwood forest, and numerous waterfalls. The canyon walls rise to nearly 1,000 feet in places, and Spearfish Creek — clear, spring-fed, and designated a Blue Ribbon trout stream — runs alongside the road for its entire length. Bridal Veil Falls and Roughlock Falls are the two most visited waterfalls; Bridal Veil drops approximately 60 feet near the hamlet of Savoy, while Roughlock Falls is reached via a 0.8-mile trail from a signed parking lot just off US-14A, spreading across a wide cascade through moss-covered boulders. Spearfish Falls, 0.8 miles from the Roughlock Falls trailhead, drops steeply through a narrow gorge and is frequently overlooked by casual visitors who stop only at Roughlock. The canyon connects to the George S. Mickelson Trail near Cheyenne Crossing, allowing cyclists to combine a canyon drive with Black Hills rail-trail riding. Fly fishing in Spearfish Creek is regulated under Blue Ribbon classification with catch-and-release requirements on portions of the stream. Fall foliage from late September to mid-October transforms the canyon into vivid gold, orange, and red when bigtooth aspen and other hardwoods peak simultaneously — regarded as one of the most concentrated autumn color displays in the northern Great Plains. The byway is a public road with no entry fee, connecting to Deadwood, Lead, and the broader Black Hills road network at its southern end near Cheyenne Crossing.