Doggin'
Spearfish Canyon
Scientists estimate that Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills
is six times as old as the Grand Canyon. The limestone cliffs
of the 400-foot canyon lord over some of the greatest botanical
diversity in the region. Of the 1,586 identified plant species
in South Dakota, 1,260 grow along the Spearfish Creek. Bits and
pieces of Spearfish Canyon began being
incorporated into the Black Hills National Forest in 1897.
From a common trailhead along little
Spearfish Creek, two sporty trail systems explore the upper reaches
of Spearfish Canyon. The Rim Rock Trail, the more difficult
of the two, traces the canyon rim, climbing sharply through Ponderosa
pines in some areas. To the south is the Little Spearfish
Trail, about six miles of more gradual hiking that visits
the creek and rim. For a canine hiking challenge, head for the
'76 Trail that rises almost vertically to the north rim at Buzzard's
Roost in less than one mile.
Nearby are the Eagle Cliff Trails, carved by ski enthusiasts
in the 1980s as a way to reach deepinto the isolated mountains
of the western Black Hills. More than 20 short trails totalling
27 miles loop and intertwine under Ponderosa pines and majestic
white spruce trees. Any challenge of canine hike is on the menu
here, especially in the winter. Snow pack readings are taken
in this area of the Black Hills to help with spring runoff predictions.
It is not unusual for 180 inches of snow to fall on the Eagle
Cliff Trails during a winter.
For the 1990 Oscar-winning Dances With
Wolves, star/director Kevin Costner filmed the Indian winter
camp in Spearfish Canyon; the exact spot of the final scene where
Costner and Mary MacDonnell leave the tribe was once marked by
signs that have long since succumbed to souvenir-hunters. The
opening sequence, where Costner receives his orders at Fort Hays
to travel yo Fort Sedgewick, was filmed on a private ranch east
of Rapid City. Two of the set pieces, the major's house and the
blacksmith shop have been moved to a tourist spot known as the
Fort Hays Film Set (four miles south of Rapid City). The Sage
Creek Wilderness Area in the Badlands National Park was the backdrop
for the wagon trip through Sioux Indian country to Fort Sedgewick.
Learn more: http://www.spearfish.com/canyon/
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