BLACK HILLS PIONEER | 2017 Visitspearfish.Com 1
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BLACK HILLS PIONEER | 2017 visitspearfish.com 1 ... Spearfish Your destination for fun! This magazine presents only a small portion of the treasures waiting to be discovered by our visitors year-round. We look forward to seeing you in town; we will be sure to offer you a warm welcome. Mistie Caldwell Executive Director, Visit Spearfish, Inc. Spearfish Introduction .................................................................. 3-5 Outdoor Lifestyle ......................................................................6 & 7 Spearfish Creek ............................................................................... 9 INDEX Spearfish Area Hiking ............................................................10 & 11 Downtown Spearfish ..............................................................12 &13 Matthews Opera House and Arts Center ................................ 14-16 D.C. Booth Historic Fish Hatchery ........................................... 18-20 High Plains Western Heritage Center ........................................... 21 Birding in Spearfish ....................................................................... 22 Motorcycle Riding ......................................................................... 23 Climbing ................................................................................24 & 25 Winter Sports ........................................................................26 & 27 Snowmobiling ................................................................................ 28 Spearfish Canyon Self Guided Tour & Map ............................. 33-35 Fall Colors ..................................................................................... 36 Off-Road/ATV Trail System ............................................................ 38 Geocaching ................................................................................... 40 Bicycling ................................................................................42 & 43 The above photos were submitted by readers inspired Running ......................................................................................... 44 by the beauty and community of Spearfish. Disc Golfing ................................................................................... 47 Golfing ........................................................................................... 48 Parks & Recreation ........................................................................ 50 Welcome to Spearfish is a special publication of Waterpark ...................................................................................... 51 the Black Hills Pioneer in cooperation with Fishing ........................................................................................... 52 Visit Spearfish. © 2017 Black Hills Pioneer Hunting ......................................................................................... 53 For more information about items in this publication: Black Hills State University Activities ............................................ 54 Group Event Planning ................................................................... 57 Visit Spearfish • 603 N. Main St., Spearfish, SD Lodging in Spearfish ..................................................................... 59 (605) 717-9294 • www.visitspearfish.com Dining in Spearfish ................................................................60 & 61 Produced and published by: Nightlife in Spearfish ..................................................................... 62 Worshiping in Spearfish ................................................................. 63 BLACK HILLS PIONEER 141 315 Seaton Cir., Spearfish, SD 57783 Visitor Information ......................................................................... 64 YEARS Since 1876 (605) 642-2761 • www.bhpioneer.com Spearfish Community Map ....................................................66 & 67 A special thank you to photographers Les Heiserman Nearby Attractions: and Heidi Watson for their contributions to Mount Rushmore National Memorial ............................................ 31 this publication. Devils Tower National Monument ................................................. 40 Publisher: Letti Lister, Editor: Mark Watson, Layout: Melissa Barnett Front cover photo (main) - Les Heiserman; Smaller photos (L-R) - Les Heiserman, BHP File Photo, Jake Servaty Back cover photo (main) - Jesse Brown Nelson Photography; Smaller photos (L-R): Courtesy, SD Tourism, Courtesy 2 visitspearfish.com SPEARFISH: Its natural setting connects to its colorful history BY PAUL HIGBEE FOR THE BLACK HILLS PIONEER To say nature awaits you in Spearfish is an understatement. Nature asserts itself here, grabs you by the senses, and in some cases never lets go. It gets into your blood by way of pine-scented breezes, bugling elk, the feel of icy creek waters numbing your feet on hot summer days, and silvery moonrises that turn Lookout Mountain aglow. Nature surrounds Spearfish, but it seems to flow especially from Spearfish Canyon, a deep gorge descending from the northern– most reach of the Black Hills. Also flowing from Spearfish Canyon is Spearfish Creek, a mighty 40-mile mountain stream that drops 3,000 feet over its short course. The creek carved Spearfish Canyon, a place of high limestone cliffs, waterfalls, towering spruces, Ponderosa pines, aspens, birches, burdocks and box elders. One-hun- dred-thirty bird species call the canyon home, including eagles that glide the gorge’s wind currents, and dippers that submerge themselves in the creek to feed on aquatic bugs. A good place to experience this abundant nature in full glory can be found next to Spearfish Canyon Lodge, 13 miles up the canyon high- way from Spearfish. From the lodge, two easy hikes along the canyon floor lead you to Roughlock Falls and Spearfish Falls. A more strenu- CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Spearfish Falls Photo courtesy Laura Heisinger visitspearfish.com 3 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 ous hike brings you to the high rim fish Creek made possible one of the at Buzzard’s Roost. great American engineering projects Spearfish Creek created this of the era. Homestake Gold Mine of setting over millions of years, and it Lead built two hydroelectric power has also splashed its way through plants in the canyon and another human history in recent centuries. on Spearfish’s southern edge, for Flowing strong even in the driest the purpose of bringing electricity years, the creek drew plains natives to its mine. Homestake’s success who regularly camped along its low turned the mine into the western banks. Brooklyn-born Daniel Toom- hemisphere’s biggest gold producer ey traveled west to hunt buffalo and for decades (and South Dakota the first saw Spearfish Creek in May, nation’s number one gold produc- 1876, with no man-made structures ing state). For the Spearfish power anywhere in sight. After the town of plant, Homestake diverted creek Spearfish took root that same year, water through a remarkable series of Toomey harnessed the creek’s water eight tunnels cut through solid rock power and built a flour mill. The mill for about six miles. remained a successful Spearfish Toomey’s mill is long industry far into the 20th century. gone. Canyon mines Also eyeing the creek for the first were short-lived and time in 1876 was Irish-born Robert the canyon railway But how is it that I’ve Evans, a self-taught engineer who washed away in a 1933 heard so little of this miracle devised a means of irrigating the flood. After 125 years, “and we, toward the Atlantic, wide valley where Spearfish sits. He Homestake dug out its have heard so much of the and friends dug an ingenious web of last gold in 2001. But the Grand Canyon when this is even irrigation ditches and correctly cal- creekside trout hatch- more miraculous. All the culated that the valley’s steep drop ery is now the archival, to the north would carry water to interpretive and educa- better eventually ... that the distant fields. Robert Evans and his tional site for the entire Dakotas are not on the wife Rebecca, Spearfish’s first teach- federal fisheries program. through line to the Coast ... er, grew grains and fruits not only The Homestake pow- for Spearfish, but for Black Hills er plants still stand in My hat is off to towns in high, rocky locations where tribute to the great mine South Dakota treasures. farming was next to impossible. and the one at Spearfish In 1893 railroad tracks were built produces some power for ~ Frank Lloyd Wright alongside the creek in hopes that the community. Robert Famous American architecht and designer mining would develop in the canyon, Evans’ irrigation system and in 1899 a federal trout hatchery works today as well as it took form along the water on Spear- did 140 years ago and fish’s south side. The hatchery keeps Spearfish gardens and fields produced trout for sportsmen not green. only in the Black Hills, but across The powerful creek itself still flows the West. as cold and clear and reliably as Early in the 20th century Spear- ever. n Photo courtesy Les Heiserman Photo courtesy Les Heiserman Photo courtesy Stephanie Palmer 4 visitspearfish.com A year-round Retreat for the senses Lookout Mountain Photo courtesy Les Heiserman visitspearfish.com 5 OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE embraced by locals and visitors The The most common response from people who visit Spearfish, is “ … we had no idea it was so beautiful here.” Majestic scenery makes The surrounding Black Hills National Forest features an abundance for an amazing of recreational opportunities