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Orange and Black Hills

Spearfish Falls at Dawn, Black Hills, SD (9/27/21) Philip Reedy

South Dakota’s Black Hills are most famous as the home of four American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

They are, of course, the four faces on Mt. Rushmore which is located in the Black Hills. But, if Philip Reedy has any influence, the Black Hills will also be famous for being orange.

Fall colors peak very predictably during the last week of September each year, Reedy wrote when he sent these photos, adding that “The Spearfish Visitors Bureau publishes a weekly color update, but nothing as complete as CaliforniaFallColor.com. They reported the color at 95% of peak on September 28 and I think these pictures will confirm that.

Spearfish Canyon, Black Hills, SD (9/30/21) Philip Reedy
  • Spearfish Creek, Black Hills, SD (9/27/21) Philip Reedy
  • Mountain Goat, Spearfish Canyon, Black Hills, SD (9/27/21) Philip Reedy
  • Spearfish Canyon Panorama, Black Hills, SD (9/30/21) Philip Reedy
  • The Hills Near Deadwood, SD (9/30/21) Philip Reedy

“While most of the best colors are found along the 14-mile drive through Spearfish Canyon from the town of Spearfish in the north to Savoy in the south, great color can be found throughout the area, particularly along the many streams that flow from the hills such as Rapid Creek and Box Elder Creek. Between Savoy and Rapid City there are many beautiful aspen groves lining the pastures.

“There are roads weaving throughout the hills, and sometimes the best views are found by just cruising down a random byway. 

“One of the great things about the area is the lack of tourists in autumn.  There are no large cities close to the Black Hills, and after Labor Day, the throngs heading down I-90 toward Yellowstone have gone back home, leaving the area uncrowded,” Reedy reported.

  • Spearfish Creek, Black Hills, SD (9/27/21) Philip Reedy
  • Spearfish Creek, Black Hills, SD (9/27/21) Philip Reedy
  • Rapid Creek, Rapid City, SD (9/30/21) Philip Reedy
  • Box Elder Creek, Black Hills, SD (10/1/21) Philip Reedy

Phil was there on assignment for American Fly Fishing and his photos of himself fishing attest to the beauty of the scene and his mastery of remotely shot self-portraits in a natural setting.

Nemo General Store Residents (10/1/21) Philip Reedy

At the Nemo General Store on the edge of the Paradise Valley dates back to the 1800s. Californian William Randolph Hearst, Jr once owned land nearby and logged it for his Homestead Mine in the 1870s. The store’s present owner is a cat lover and dozens of them are found lounging everywhere around the property, providing Reedy with an affluence of feline subjects for his fall photography.

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