It’s officially the fall season, and Spearfish Canyon is revealing her fall colors. The Canyon is currently at 70% change toward peak colors. The southeast cliff slope that greets you on the byway as you’re nearing Bridal Veil Falls is full of golden hues. Sumac shrubs were still surprisingly green today. But, I did find a grouping of sumac that have turned their radiant reds adjacent to the Kissing Rocks, about eight miles into the Canyon from Spearfish. There were also many fast chipmunks running around this area, too. These rodents were probably snacking on acorns from oaks. The oak trees I saw were still green in color. We are still waiting for peak fall colors at Savoy, but the leaves are moving along in their transition and definitely still worth seeing!

The fall foliage in Spearfish Canyon is now at 65% of peak color change. Fall officially begins on Sunday. After a windy week here in Spearfish, we are in for a hot day today followed by a mild, sunny weekend. The area southeast of Devil’s Bathtub parking lot is the closest to peak color of any area I’ve seen in the Canyon. Watch for delicate, purple bellflowers as you walk from the parking lot to the trail this weekend. The Savoy Bowl and areas around Spearfish Canyon Lodge are dotted with golden yellows, especially in the higher elevations around the cliffs.

Spearfish Canyon is at 55% change toward its peak colors in fall foliage. We typically see the brightest, most vibrant vegetation in the Canyon sometime between September 23 through early October. When I drove through the Canyon on Wednesday, I noticed significantly more yellow than on my other Canyon visits. Specifically, I noticed elms turning golden around Rim Rock Lodge and red Viginia Creeper in the forest understory. The roadway south of Devil’s Bathtub parking lot continues to move more quickly toward peak color than the rest of the Canyon. Watch for evolving lime greens and yellows in those leaves.