Located in Lawrence County, South Dakota, Spearfish Canyon is a canyon. The nearest town is Spearfish, about 1.7 km (1.1 mi) away (Spearfish Canyon lies SSE of town).
Spearfish Canyon is a deep but narrow gorge carved by Spearfish Creek located in Lawrence County, South Dakota, U.S., just south of Spearfish. The canyon is located within the Black Hills, located on the northern edge of the Black Hills National Forest. The Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway travels through the Canyon from Spearfish to Cheyenne Crossing along U.S. Route 14A. The highway follows an old railroad grade that was abandoned after massive flooding in 1933.From the Wikipedia article “Spearfish Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Spearfish Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 55° NE | 8:44 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 123° ESE | 4:19 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 50m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Canyons need light from above: rims glow at sunrise and sunset, while deep or narrow sections are brightest near midday when reflected light bounces off the walls.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:15 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 13m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:37 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 51m |
Local time (America/Denver), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Spearfish Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:49 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:16 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:53 AM – 3:13 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 2:41 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:56 PM – 1:16 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 11:15 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:17 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.81 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (67%). July is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 66 | 69 | 80 | 85 | 94 | 106 | 109 | 103 | 100 | 90 | 76 | 65 |
| Low °F | -14 | -13 | -15 | 7 | 18 | 34 | 45 | 40 | 26 | -4 | -1 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this canyon
- Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Wide and telephoto lenses, Lens blower, Weather radio or app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Spearfish Canyon, closest first.
Waterfall
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Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Spearfish Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Spearfish Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Spearfish Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Spearfish Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Spearfish Canyon?
How far is Spearfish Canyon from Spearfish?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.