Are you looking for some great microbrews or hand-crafted beers in the Black Hills? Yes… Then you have to check out Crow Peak Brewing Company in Spearfish SD.
The first beer I tried from Crow Peak is still my favorite. Pile O’ Dirt Porter. This is a dark beer that is smooth and rich. I love the flavor and the finish is great too. They are now distributing Pile O’ Dirt and 11th Hour IPA throughout South Dakota. I picked up a six-pack at Lynn’s Dakotamart in Lead.
Or you can go straight to the source and have your growler filled. They are located in Spearfish at 125 West Highway 14. Visit their website for hours of operation and a map.
If you are not into beer but still want to enjoy some regional fermented beverages, the Black Hills is home to several wineries(and more all the time). Visit the Belle Joli and Schade tasting rooms in Deadwood. Or, check out Stone Faces and Prairie Berry down by Hill City.
What is your favorite beverage brewed in the Black Hills?
11th Hour Gulch is another great natural feature in Spearfish Canyon. It is about 20 feet wide and it is just right off of Highway 14A (the small white area at the end of the gulch in the picture above is the highway). If you don’t know where it is, you’ll drive right past it – as I have been doing for the last several years.
Where is 11th Hour Gulch?
It is located in Spearfish Canyon near mile marker 20. This just across the road from kissing rocks. Just a few hundred feet north of kissing rocks is a pullout. Park there, cross the road and walk back in the same direction as the kissing rocks. You’ll see the gulch before you get to the rocks.
What is it like?
The 11th Hour Gulch is so named because the walls are so tall it is said to only get one hour of sunlight per day. There are lots of boulders to climb on and there are some ladders to help you climb up some of the bigger rocks.
Watch my video to see more pictures of the gulch and photos of nearby Community Caves.
Spearfish Canyon is just loaded with natural beauty. Be sure to check out some of the other sites and hikes in the area:
Schade tasting room in Deadwood, SD is a great place to try some South Dakota made wine.
Schade Vineyard and Winery is based in Volga SD. They planted the first vines in 1999 and now have over 1000 producing vines. In addition, they purchase other grapes and fruits of South Dakota from growers within 200 miles of the winery.
I really enjoy South Dakota wines that use native fruits to get that regional flavor. Making unique wines with definite South Dakota influences. It is great to taste wines made with rhubarb, Buffaloberry, plum and chokecherry.
Red Wines from Schade
Signature Red
Dakota Red
Oakwood Red Table Wine
Tawny
White Wines from Schade Vineyard
Prairie White Table Wine
Goldsmith White
Fruit Wines by Schade Winery
Blackberry
Cranberry
Cherry
Plum
Chokecherry
Elderberry
Buffaloberry
Raspberry Apple
Honey
Rhubarb
Strawberry Rhubarb
If you are in the Deadwood area be sure to stop in for a free tasting. I’m sure you’ll want to take a few bottles home with you.
Where is the Schade Tasting room in Deadwood?
Schade is located on Hwy 14A right before you get to the city of Deadwood. It is located in Boulder Canyon in the same building as Canyon View Amish Furniture.
From Spearfish, take Highway 85 south. When you get to the junction with Hwy 14A, turn left (east) and you’ll find the tasting room at the bottom of the hill.
