Crow Peak #64

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

This trail is a short drive from downtown Spearfish with a good sized parking lot at the bottom. The first half of the climb is steady smooth singletrack winding around to the west face of Crow Peak. The second half involves steep switchbacks with rocky singletrack. The summit view is worth the challenge! The trail is very popular with hikers, so watch out. For seven years of good luck, bring a can of Crow Peak beer and post a photo of it being enjoyed at the top.

Geologically and topographically speaks, Crow Peak is a notable landmark. Billions of years ago, this area was covered by an ocean. Layers of sediment were deposited on the ocean floor, eventually hardening to form limestone and other sedimentary rock layers.

Underground molten rock called magma pushed the sedimentary layers upward forming topography. During the uplifting, crevasses within the limestone hills filled with magma. These flows of magma, called intrusions, cooled to form igneous rock.

The limestone and other sedimentary rock erodes at a faster rate than the harder igneous rock. As the oceans receded, the overlying sedimentary rock eroded, exposing the igneous intrusions. Crow Peak and other peaks you can see from this peak's summit, such as Bear Butte, Spearfish Mountain, and Terry Peak, were formed in this manner. Erosion of the igneous rock and the sedimentary rock surrounding these peaks continues to shape the landscape of the Northern Black Hills.