Updated Sep 28
Pictured: Spearfish Canyon · typical peak lookSouth Dakotafall foliage
Where is fall color peaking in South Dakota right now?
No official report has come in for fall foliage yet this season.
Updated Sep 28.
Places by state
South Dakota
- Spearfish CanyonIn its usual window
Local timing: Sep 1–30
Official reports
Dated and linked
- Sep 27Park ServiceA favorite fall color drive when the aspens change in September; the best waterfalls in the Black HillsSource (opens US Forest Service, Spearfish Canyon (Black Hills National Forest) in a new tab)
- Sep 27Park ServiceLittle Spearfish loop through pine, aspen and birch; peak season mid-May to late September; closed December to mid-MaySource (opens US Forest Service, Timon Campground in a new tab)
- Sep 27Park ServiceSeven first-come sites off Roughlock Falls Road; no water about October 1 to May 15Source (opens US Forest Service, Rod & Gun Campground in a new tab)
Show all 6
- Sep 27Park ServiceBridal Veil Falls from Highway 14A; the steep '76 TrailSource (opens US Forest Service, Black Hills National Forest, Northern Hills - Spearfish in a new tab)
- Sep 27Park ServiceMontane grassland: early flowers May to June, purples through summer, gentians in late AugustSource (opens US Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers: White Spring Area (Black Hills National Forest) in a new tab)
- Sep 27Park ServiceBest wildflower viewing mid-June to early JulySource (opens US Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers: Crow Peak Trail (Black Hills National Forest) in a new tab)
Questions people ask
Why does color come earlier in some places?
Higher ground turns first. In the Great Smoky Mountains, color can start as early as mid-September at the highest elevations, develops above 4,000 feet from early to mid-October, and reaches the lower and middle slopes between mid-October and early November.Source: National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains fall color ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How do you track fall foliage?
Each place moves through 6 stages: Still green, First color, Moderate, High color, Peak and Past peak. Every stage we show comes from a dated report with its source, and every forecast lists its sources.