The road drops off I-90 at Spearfish and immediately narrows into a world enclosed by limestone walls. Within the first mile, the canyon walls close in and Spearfish Creek appears alongside the pavement. From there, Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway (US-14A) winds 19 miles south through the northern Black Hills to Cheyenne Crossing, climbing nearly 2,000 feet in elevation along the way. The canyon is less than a mile wide. The road follows the creek the entire distance. That's the setup — and it holds for all 19 miles.

Why It's Known

The byway follows the grade of a Burlington Railroad line that took passengers through the canyon until a devastating flood destroyed most of it in 1933. The highway was built along what remained. The road itself is designated both a State Scenic Byway and a National Scenic Byway. In September 1935, architect Frank Lloyd Wright visited and called the canyon "unique and unparalleled elsewhere in our country." More recently, the canyon's winter snowpack and limestone cliffs served as the backdrop for the closing winter camp scenes of the 1990 Kevin Costner film Dances with Wolves — that footage was shot in November 1989 on Forest Road 222 roughly three miles up-canyon from what is now Spearfish Canyon Lodge, north of Roughlock Falls.

Segments and Named Stops

Riders heading south from Spearfish pass Split Rock at approximately 2.9 miles — a domed rock outcropping through which a notch was blasted to allow the original railroad to pass. It's a subtle landmark but a real one.

At mile 5.8, Bridal Veil Falls Pullout sits directly beside the road. The falls drop 60 feet down a sheer limestone cliff. A paved crosswalk leads to a wooden viewing platform on the opposite bank. Water volume is highest in spring snowmelt and can thin considerably by late summer — worth stopping regardless, as mountain goats are sometimes spotted on the cliff face above.

Continuing south, the community of Savoy marks the canyon's main fork: US-14A continues south toward Cheyenne Crossing, while Forest Road 222 branches west into Little Spearfish Canyon. Both Spearfish Falls and Roughlock Falls are accessed from this junction. Spearfish Falls is a 47-foot drop reached via a short trail from the Savoy area; the falls were dry for most of the 20th century after water was diverted to a Homestake Gold Mine hydroelectric plant in 1917, and didn't flow again until 2003. Roughlock Falls is roughly one mile west on FR-222 — the name comes from pioneer wagon drivers who "roughlocked" their wheels to control descent on the steep terrain.

South of Savoy, the canyon opens slightly as US-14A climbs toward Cheyenne Crossing and the junction with US-85, where the byway ends.

How to Ride It

The 35 mph posted speed limit is in place the full length of the byway, and it reflects the reality of the road: curves, wildlife crossings, pedestrians, cyclists, and pullout traffic. Shoulder drop-offs exist at several points, so staying in-lane matters. The road surface is generally smooth, but watch for debris near waterfalls and at pullout entries after rain.

This is an all-skill-level road. There are no technical switchbacks, no hairpins requiring bar-to-bar turns, and no gravel surfaces on the main byway itself. Any street bike — touring rigs, adventure bikes, standards — handles it without issue. The challenge is patience: sightseers stop and slow without much warning, and during Sturgis Rally week (early-to-mid August), traffic through the canyon increases significantly. Riding it on a weekday morning outside of rally week makes for a cleaner experience.

For direction: north-to-south (Spearfish toward Cheyenne Crossing) puts the creek and canyon walls on your right as you climb, with better sightlines to pullouts. South-to-north works equally well for a return pass — many riders do both.

Season

US-14A through the canyon is open year-round and is not subject to winter closure the way high mountain passes are. The canyon does receive around 31 inches of snow annually, and the road can be slick in winter. The practical riding window is April through October. Fall color — aspen and birch going yellow — typically peaks mid-September through mid-October, and that draws the most visitor traffic. Spring, when snowmelt feeds the waterfalls at full volume, is the best window for waterfall stops.

Note: Forest Road 222 from Savoy to Roughlock Falls closes December 15 through March 31 for snowmobile season, though the trail from Spearfish Canyon Lodge to the falls stays open year-round.

Fuel, Food, and a Place to Stay

Spearfish Canyon Lodge sits at the Roughlock Falls trailhead on Forest Road 222, roughly midway through the canyon. It's a full-service lodge with a restaurant and is the most convenient mid-canyon base of operations — useful if you're riding both directions or adding side trips into Little Spearfish Canyon.

The canyon connects naturally into a broader south dakota loop. Riders who finish at Cheyenne Crossing can pick up US-85 south toward Historic Deadwood, where US-14A continues through Lead and Deadwood back to I-90. Deadwood's brick Main Street and gaming halls are a reasonable stop for fuel and a meal. Downtown Sturgis — Main Street is about 20 miles northeast of the canyon's north entrance via I-90 — the distance is short enough that many rally visitors use the canyon as a daily ride out of Sturgis.

For riders extending into the central Black Hills, Iron Mountain Road Pigtail Bridges on US-16A and the Needles Eye Tunnel on SD-87 are reasonable same-day additions if you're already at Cheyenne Crossing.

Plan Your Ride

Allow at least two hours for the canyon if you plan to stop at the falls — one hour if you're just riding through. Fuel up in Spearfish before you drop into the canyon; there are no fuel stations on the byway itself. Check road conditions if you're riding early spring or late fall, and expect heavier traffic during August rally week and fall color season. The road rewards attention to the surroundings more than any particular riding technique — the canyon does the work.