A Fun Roads TV crew just spent a lot of time in the picturesque city, Spearfish which is nestled in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota off of. Spearfish delights visitors looking for small town charm and western hospitality. Historic Main Street is home to many western theme shops and cultural attractions.
A perfect choice for all seasons, nature has been gracious to this city as sparkling Spearfish Creek and the Black Hills form the crown jewels of the queen city. Located just off the I-90, Spearfish is an excellent headquarters for your tour of the Black Hills. So we thought a visit to Spearfish was needed.
Spearfish is an absolute wonderful year-round family road trip destination. It has so many attractions that can keep you occupied for a good week. It’s close to five national monuments, Badlands National Park, the Devil’s Tower National Monument, Mt. Rushmore National Monument, Wind Cave, and Jewel Cave all are within an easy drive from each other anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
And in the Black Hills, you’re never far from the trappings of the old west and make no mistake this is considered the West. Western South Dakota is only a few miles from ranch operations, buffalo herds, commercial buffalo ranching, cattle ranching.
Farming and ranching are the backbones of the area, and years ago some ranchers decided to give back to the community by starting the High Plains Heritage Center Museum.
The museum represents a timeframe that extends from prehistory all the way to the decline of that culture while basically representing an old western setting where Native Americans, cowboys, we also honor the pioneering efforts in areas such as logging, mining, agriculture, and animal husbandry.
We all know the pleasures of the road, but also the hardships of a long drive. Stagecoaches help you appreciate the luxury of your ride just a little more. Now the original Spearfish to Deadwood stagecoach was an Abbot and Downing stagecoach. These stagecoaches were made in Concord, New Hampshire. There are only two of these in the state of South Dakota right now. Seventeen people could actually ride on these stagecoaches do oftentimes the ladies with the big billowy dresses would be offered to ride inside and maybe the more workaday type people would be outside. It was a lot bumpier ride out there and a lot dustier. There were two seats, two permanent seats inside the stagecoach. Three people could fit on each of those. They would have a bench in the middle that three people could be on. They could also get three people on either side – on either end of the stagecoach on the outside, and also room enough for the driver and the guy with the shotgun, so 17 people.
Fortunately with its wide roads and excellent highways, traveling around Spearfish these days is a little more comfortable. If you wanna pay a visit to some of the heroes of the west, or just get a taste of ranch life, the Heritage Center is open year round.
