Lookout Mountain Park
Park
792 acres15.1 mi of trail
Twisted FunBlue SteakOl' BlueMesa+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Spearfish
Spearfish has 26 miles of mapped trails, 1.5 for every square mile of land
1,088 acres are parks and preserves, 84 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Lookout Mountain Park (15.1 mi), McGuigan Nature Area (2.3 mi), Creekside Nature Area (1.4 mi). 9% of Spearfish’s land is conserved, about 1,015 acres.
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #1 of 35 in South Dakota. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
1,015 acres · of 17.3 sq mi of land
Trails
26 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,088 ac
84 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
87%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
20 mi
3.3 mi lanes · 14 mi paths
Highest peak
4,452 ft
Lookout Mountain
Lakes & rivers
3
5 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Spearfish?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Spearfish have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Spearfish is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #1 of 35 in South Dakota. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Spearfish’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical SD town 3% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (26 mi) · SD 0.5 · U.S. 0.4APark land84 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,088 acres) · SD 13 · U.S. 13AParks close to home87% of residents within a half mile of a park · SD 87% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 93%
LessMore
South Dakota towns of 2,500+ (35)#1 of 35
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Lookout Mountain Park, with 15.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Creekside Nature Area
Park
26 acres1.4 mi of trail
Loop ALoop BLoop C
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 19 parks & preserves
Lookout Mountain Park792 acres · 15.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMcGuigan Nature Area62 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCreekside Nature Area26 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
Spearfish City Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJorgensen Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Indian Springs Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBrady Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRotary Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Evans Park6 acres
Spartan Park6 acres
DirectionsBuzzard's Roost Park3 acres
DirectionsSandstone Park3 acres
DirectionsLions Park2 acres
DirectionsSalem Park2 acres
Mountain Shadows Park2 acres
Ida Henton Park1 acres
Heritage Park1 acres
Lookout Park1 acres
Susan Bertsch Memorial Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,015 conserved acres
9% of Spearfish’s land. Who manages Spearfish’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city990 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service21 ac
State fish & wildlife11 ac
U.S. Forest Service4 ac
Bureau of Land Management2 ac
Local Park · 970 acFederal Other or Unknown · 21 acLocal Recreation Area · 19 acState Conservation Area · 11 acNational Forest · 4 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lookout Mountain Park Local Park | Town or city | 881 | Open |
| Meier Property Park Local Park | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery Federal Other or Unknown | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 21 | Restricted |
| Black Hills Recreation Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Jorgensen Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Tretheway Pavilion Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Spearfish Dog Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Beilage Hepler Game Production Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 11 | Restricted |
| Salem Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Black Hills National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 4 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
28 places to go in Spearfish
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Spearfish
5 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Spearfish
Old Central Elementary Playground
DirectionsProject PlaylandIn Spearfish City Park
DirectionsPlus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Spearfish
Off Leash Dog Park
DirectionsPeaks in Spearfish
Lookout Mountain4,452 ft elevation · In Lookout Mountain Park
DirectionsHamster Hill4,039 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Spearfish
Chris' Campground
DirectionsMountain View Campground
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Spearfish
Spearfish Community GardenIn Spartan Park
DirectionsTrails & water
10 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 11.6 miHorses · 1.9 miUnpaved · 15.2 mi
Twisted Fun2.9 mi
Blue Steak1.7 mi
Ol' Blue1.7 mi
Mesa1.5 mi
Tech Essence1.3 mi
Round The Crown0.5 mi
Loop A0.4 mi
Mars0.3 mi
Loop B0.3 mi
Loop C0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
20 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
14 mi
off-road bike paths
2.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
13Baseball
9Soccer
9Tennis
4Football
4Basketball
1Beach volleyball
1Tracks
1Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →29 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Episcopal Church of All AngelsBuilding · listed 1976
About itWilliam Ernest Lown HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itHalloran-Matthews-Brady HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itSpearfish Fisheries CenterDistrict · listed 1978
About itMail Building, TheBuilding · listed 1988
About itSpearfish Filling StationBuilding · listed 1988
About itWalter Dickey HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itKroll Meat Market and SlaughterhouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itFayette Cook HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itHenry Keets HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itJohn Wolzmuth HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About it17 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Spearfish: July to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 38 | 48 | 56 | 66 | 77 | 86 | 84 | 74 | 59 | 47 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.9 |
January is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.3 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Spearfish →
Questions about parks and trails in Spearfish
Where can I hike in Spearfish?
The longest trail networks: Lookout Mountain Park, 15.1 miles; McGuigan Nature Area, 2.3 miles; Creekside Nature Area, 1.4 miles; Spearfish City Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Spearfish is conserved land?
9% of its land, against a typical 3% for a South Dakota town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Spearfish’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Lookout Mountain Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Spearfish?
20 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.3 of painted or protected lanes, 14 of off-road paths and 2.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Spearfish?
83,424 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Spearfish or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,093 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Spearfish have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #1 of 35 in South Dakota. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Spearfish neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →