Spearfish Scenic Drive, Mount Moriah & Tatanka – July 2025

Spearfish Scenic Drive, Mount Moriah & Tatanka – July 2025

by Kim · Published July 9, 2025 · Updated July 24, 2025

Spearfish Scenic Drive, Mount Moriah & Tatanka – July 2025

Saturdays are the busiest day of the week for sightseeing and Saturday, July 5 was no different. We wanted to complete the Spearfish Byway but a rockfall blocked the road and we were only able to do a third of it, so we pivoted and went back to Deadwood to see the historic Mount Moriah Cemetery and the Tatanka Bison Experience. However, before leaving the scenic byway we were able to do a really cool hike to the Devil's Bathtub.

Beautiful Spearfish Canyon Scenic Drive

Dale takes video of Angel Falls on the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Drive

Angel Falls on the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Drive

A river ran alongside the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Drive

This stopped our Spearfish Scenic Tour. It happened just before we arrived at this point in the road. A patrolman showed up to stop traffic.

Spearfish Creek runs alongside the scenic byway.

The start of the the Devil’s Bathtub Trail.

One of the many water crossings on the Devil’s Bathtub Trail.

I think this tree is expecting! Ha ha

A very cool feature on a tree trunk.

We had to walk narrow trails and cross the creek probably a dozen times.

Another view of the Devil’s Bathtub.

We made it to the Devil’s Bathtub! Not very big but very refreshing looking.

Dale leads us through the canyon on the Devil’s Bathtub Trail.

We've experienced so many beautiful wild flowers while in South Dakota.

I think we're getting close to the end of the trail.

Just north of Deadwood, South Dakota.

It was a beautiful day and setting for looking at the bronze sculptures.

Kevin Costner was so inspired by his time with the Lakota People while filming “Dances with Wolves”, that he created the Tatanka experience to show the symbiotic relationship between the Lakota Nation and the North American Plains Bison.

I can easily imagine the Black Hills looked a lot like this at one time.

These figures artfully depict the earliest and most effective form of hunting bison called a bison jump.

Tatanka is composed of a total of 17 pieces: 14 bison being pursued by three Lakota riders on bareback.

Ta’Tanka is the 3rd largest bronze sculpture in the world.

While we explored Tatanka we let our shoes dry out after the last hike.

Famous Deadwood cemetery with several notable residents.

All the streets in the cemetery are Biblical and named by the Masons.

There are two areas in Mount Moriah that are listed as potters fields.

A view of Deadwood from Mount Moriah Cemetery.

Mount Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood.

Several civil war graves are in Moriah.

Wild Bill Hickock's final resting place. He was shot in the back of the head while playing cards in Deadwood.

Calamity Jane poses next to Bill Hickock's grave. She was buried right next to him.

Wild Bill Hickock's grave before it was moved to Mount Moriah Cemetery.

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