Recreation area

Little Spearfish Trailhead (Trail #80)

Black Hills National Forest · South Dakota — managed by USDA Forest Service

Open recreation area — no reservation needed

About this campground

The Little Spearfish Trail is a 6 mile loop that meanders through stands of ponderosa pine, quaking aspen, and paper birch. Spearfish Creek offers a year round home to the American Dipper. Dippers are small songbirds uniquely adapted to feeding underwater. The common name "dipper" comes from this bird's habit of bending its legs so its entire body moves up and down in a dipping motion  Dippers can dive and propel themselves under the water with swimming motions of their wings.  In shallow water, they walk along the bottom of streams by grasping stones with their elongated toes.  Dippers feed almost exclusively under water on larval forms of aquatic insects including caddisfly, mayfly and stonefly nymphs.

Activities

  • HIKING
  • BIKING
  • HORSEBACK RIDING

Nearby federal campgrounds

Explore more South Dakota camping

Little Spearfish Trailhead (Trail #80) doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby South Dakota campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.

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Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.