Spearfish Falls

Spearfish Falls was actually one of the most popular tourist stops in the northern Black Hills around the beginning of the 19th century when a Burlington Railroad line took passengers directly over it, parts of which can still be found on the trail today. The trail to this 47 ft waterfall starts at the parking lot for the Latchstring Restaurant and is roughly 3/4 in length. Note that while the path to the left is easy, the one to the right of the restaurant is more difficult but does include a sweet traverse over an old metal walking bridge. Interestingly enough, in 1917, this waterfall was actually turned off for awhile as water was diverted from Spearfish Creek to a nearby hydroelectric plant that helped power operations at Homestake Gold Mine until November 17, 2003. For this reason, Spearfish Falls is one of the lesser-known waterfalls that often gets passed by even today.