Devils Tower and Spearfish Canyon Adventure from Rapid City

Name: Devils Tower and Spearfish Canyon Adventure
Brand: My XO Adventures
Price: 473.01 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (550 reviews)

Devils Tower and Spearfish Canyon Adventure from Rapid City, designed around scenic drives, short walks, and the most beautiful overlooks of the Northern Black Hills. Expect flexible pacing, time for photos, and a guide who adds context on geology, landscapes, and local history as the day unfolds. This experience is truly a devils tower and spearfish canyon adventure.

Quick tour summary for trip planning

This private full day adventure pairs Devils Tower National Monument with the waterfalls and limestone walls of Spearfish Canyon. The pacing stays calm and flexible, with scenic drives, short walks, and time to actually take in the overlooks instead of racing from stop to stop.

Private tour, your group only
Full day, about 10 hours, flexible pacing
Devils Tower National Monument and Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway
Waterfall highlights like Bridal Veil Falls, Spearfish Falls, and Roughlock Falls when conditions allow
All park admissions included, including entry to Devils Tower National Monument
Operates under a US Forest Service special use permit on the Black Hills National Forest

What kind of Experience is this?

This Devils Tower and Spearfish Canyon Adventure is a full-day private tour from Rapid City designed around scenic drives, short walks, and unhurried time in wild places. It focuses on the natural side of the region, with some hiking at Devils Tower and throughout Spearfish Canyon. Join us for a memorable devils tower and spearfish canyon adventure.

We’re not rushing from one landmark to the next. The day is built around scenic drives, overlooks, and optional short walks that let you actually feel the landscape.

Tour Snapshot

Tour type: Private (your group only)
Duration: Full day, about 10 hours (flexible pacing)
Pickup: Rapid City and nearby areas
Core destinations: Devils Tower National Monument and Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway
Waterfall highlights: Time at Spearfish Canyon favorites like Bridal Veil Falls, Spearfish Falls, and Roughlock Falls
Scenic travel style: Backroads through open countryside, ranch land, and small historic towns, with optional stagecoach era stops along the way
Walking level: Easy to moderate (short walks to overlooks and waterfall viewpoints, optional uneven ground)
Plenty of time for photos, plus professional-quality photos included from your day when possible
Best for: Nature lovers, photographers, geology fans, couples, and families who want a calm, guided pace
Included: Bottled water, soda, and light snacks

This tour is a good fit if…

This experience is designed for travelers who want to understand the Black Hills, not just check off landmarks. It’s well-suited for those who enjoy scenic drives, short walks, thoughtful conversation, and learning how history, geology, wildlife, and culture connect across the landscape.

If you value flexibility, appreciate a calm pace, and want the freedom to linger when something captures your attention, this tour tends to be a great match.

This tour isn't a good fit if...

This tour may not be the best choice if you’re looking to rush through as many sites as possible, prefer a rigid schedule, or want a highly scripted experience.

It’s also not designed for guests seeking strenuous hiking, nightlife, or a fast-moving group environment. The focus here is on depth, flow, and connection to place rather than speed or entertainment.

How the Day Flows

We start with a clear plan, then let the day breathe. After pickup in Rapid City, we head north and west through the Black Hills and surrounding countryside, often using backroads that most visitors never take. These quieter routes give you a more authentic feel for the region, with opportunities for small towns, historic stagecoach era stops, and scenic pullouts when something is worth a closer look.

The day centers on meaningful time at Devils Tower National Monument and in Spearfish Canyon. We build in stops for canyon views and waterfalls such as Bridal Veil Falls, Spearfish Falls, and Roughlock Falls when conditions allow, plus short walks and overlooks that fit your comfort level. The pacing stays flexible and natural, adjusting to weather, light, road conditions, and your interests so the experience feels smooth, personal, and unhurried.

Places We Spend Time

This tour is built around a few places that are worth slowing down for. We spend real time at Devils Tower and in Spearfish Canyon, then shape the rest of the day with overlooks, waterfall stops, and backroad travel that helps you feel the region instead of just passing through it. Stops can shift slightly based on weather, road conditions, and what you’re most excited about, but the places below capture the heart of the experience.

Devils Tower National Monument

Devils Tower is one of those places that feels even bigger in person. We give you time to take it in from more than one angle, with options ranging from easy viewpoints to the Tower Trail if you feel like walking. Along the way, we share the geology that formed it, what makes it so rare, and the human stories connected to this landscape, all in a way that adds meaning without turning the visit into a lecture.

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway

Spearfish Canyon is a completely different kind of beauty. Limestone cliffs rise above the creek, the forest closes in around you, and the canyon changes mood as light and weather shift. We take our time through the byway, using pullouts and viewpoints intentionally so you get the best angles, the best light, and the quiet moments that most people miss when they rush through.

Waterfalls of Spearfish Canyon

The waterfalls are a highlight for a reason. When conditions allow, we spend time at Bridal Veil Falls, Spearfish Falls, and Roughlock Falls, with short walks and viewing areas that keep things comfortable. Each waterfall has its own character, and we pace this portion so it feels like a set of meaningful stops, not a quick hop out of the vehicle and back in.

Backroads, Small Towns, and Stagecoach-Era Stops

Throughout the day, we make room for the moments that don’t show up on a brochure. A shifting cloud layer, a canyon view that opens up unexpectedly, wildlife near the roadside, or a stretch of quiet landscape that deserves a few minutes. We build in time for photos and observation so the tour feels personal, not rushed, and you leave with memories that look and feel like your own day in the Hills.

Scenic Overlooks and Photo Stops

Wildlife and a Living Landscape

This day isn’t just about two famous places. It’s also about moving through living habitat. As we travel the backroads and canyon corridors between stops, we’re passing through grasslands, forest edges, creek bottoms, and open ranch country where wildlife lives year-round.

Sightings always happen on nature’s terms, but it’s common to see deer, wild turkeys, hawks and other raptors, and a wide range of songbirds. Depending on season and timing, we may also spot pronghorn or other animals along the way.

Spearfish Canyon adds another layer, with cool shaded creek habitat, limestone cliffs, and pockets of lush vegetation that feel completely different from the open country outside the canyon. You’ll notice how the landscape changes quickly as elevation, water, and rock type shift, and how that shapes what grows and what lives here.

We don’t treat wildlife like a checklist. We watch carefully, keep a respectful distance, and use the moments that appear naturally. For guests who enjoy photography, some of the best surprises happen between the headline stops.

Scenic Drives That Shape the Experience

On our Devils Tower and Spearfish Adventure tour, the drive is part of the experience, not just how we get from one stop to the next. We use scenic highways and quieter backroads to move through ranch land, forested valleys, and canyon corridors, choosing routes that feel beautiful and calm instead of busy and rushed.

In Spearfish Canyon, the scenery becomes the storyline. Limestone walls rise above the creek, the forest tightens around the road, and the light changes constantly as you move through the canyon. We use pullouts and viewpoints intentionally, so you get the best angles, the best light, and the kind of stops that make the day feel spacious and memorable.

What's Included

Private guiding for your group only with flexible pacing and a calm, unhurried flow
Pickup and drop off in Rapid City and nearby areas
All park admissions included, including entry to Devils Tower National Monument
A nature first itinerary focused on the Northern Black Hills and Wyoming, with Devils Tower and Spearfish Canyon as the anchors of the day
Flexible stops for viewpoints, photos, short walks, and backroad pullouts whenever something is worth your time
Guided walk options at Devils Tower, chosen based on your comfort level, like the Tower Trail around the base or the Red Beds Trail for a wider perspective
Spearfish Canyon waterfall viewing when conditions allow, including stops like Bridal Veil Falls, Spearfish Falls, and Roughlock Falls
Bottled water, soda, and light snacks throughout the day
Professional quality photos included when possible, shared after the tour

Whats Not Included

• Meals not specified above
• Gratuities for your guide
• Personal expenses or souvenirs

A fresh picnic style meal is available for $20 per person and is highly recommended. Choosing the meal option lets us eat in a beautiful setting while saving time that would otherwise be spent waiting at a restaurant. This keeps the day flowing outdoors, where it belongs.

The tour is designed as a 10-hour day. Time beyond 10 hours is not included and is billed at $99 per additional hour if you choose to extend the experience.

Timing, Meal, and Extra Time

Tour length and return time

This tour is designed as a full day, typically about 10 hours. We use a standard 8:30 AM pickup, but we’ll call you ahead of time to fine-tune the start time around summer crowd patterns at Devils Tower.

If we arrive between about 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM, there can be a line of vehicles to enter and park, and that wait can reach an hour at peak times. To avoid that, we often adjust to either a 7:00 AM pickup so we visit Devils Tower first, or an 11:00 AM pickup so we visit later in the day after most visitors have cleared out. We’ll talk it through with you and choose the option that creates the smoothest day.

Optional Picnic-Style Meal

If you’d like, we can add a simple picnic-style lunch for $20 per person, and we highly recommend it. It saves a surprising amount of time, keeps the day flowing, and lets you eat in a beautiful setting instead of spending a big chunk of your tour waiting at a restaurant. We’ll confirm dietary needs when we call to finalize timing.

Additional time

Most tours fit comfortably within the planned timeframe, but some guests choose extra time for additional waterfall stops, longer time at Devils Tower, or a relaxed add on like Deadwood when it fits the flow of the day. If we can accommodate an extension, additional time is $99 per hour. This covers guide time, fuel, insurance, and vehicle wear and tear. We communicate clearly during the day if we are approaching that threshold, so there are no surprises.

Gratuities

Gratuities are always optional, but they are deeply appreciated and have a meaningful impact on our guides’ daily lives. Many guests ask what’s appropriate. In the Black Hills, gratuities for private guides typically range from $70–$150 per day, with $100–$200 per day being common when guests feel they’ve received excellent care and attention.

Our guides are paid a living wage, and gratuities are a vital part of how they support themselves beyond basic expenses. For multi-day tours, gratuities are customary per day, not as a single total. While we understand that times are tough and no gratuity is ever expected, its impact is real and sincerely felt.

Guides gladly accept cash, Venmo, Cash App, and PayPal. If those options aren’t convenient, the home office can process a gratuity of any amount and add it directly to the guide’s paycheck.

What to Bring

Weather can shift quickly between open country, higher elevations, and shaded canyon corridors. Dress in comfortable layers and plan for sun, wind, and cooler temperatures near the creek in Spearfish Canyon. The goal is simple: stay comfortable so the day feels calm and easy.

A warm layer, even in summer (a light jacket or fleece goes a long way)
Closed toe shoes for short walks and uneven ground
A light jacket or wind layer
Your camera or phone, plus a portable charger if you use it for photos
Sunglasses
A reusable water bottle

If you’re unsure about conditions on the day of your tour, we’re always happy to offer guidance ahead of time. The goal isn’t to be overprepared, but to feel comfortable and at ease as the day unfolds.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the most common questions we receive about the Devils Tower and Spearfish Canyon Adventure. If something isn’t covered here, feel free to ask. We’re always happy to help you choose the right pace and route for your day.

What time does the tour start?

Our standard pickup time is 8:30 AM. Before your tour, we’ll call to confirm details and fine tune timing. In summer, we often adjust earlier or later to avoid peak vehicle lines at Devils Tower and keep the day smooth.

How long is the tour?

Plan on a full day, typically about 10 hours. The pace is flexible and we don’t rush, but we do keep a natural flow so you get meaningful time at the main highlights.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. This is a private tour for your group only. You won’t be combined with other travelers.

Are park admissions included?

Yes. All park admissions are included, including entry to Devils Tower National Monument.

How much walking is involved?

Walking is generally easy to moderate. At Devils Tower, we can choose what fits you best, including the Tower Trail around the base or the Red Beds Trail for a wider, scenic perspective. Waterfall viewpoints in Spearfish Canyon usually involve short walks. Bottom line, we will adjust the tour to your comfort.

Will we see the waterfalls?

We plan for waterfall stops in Spearfish Canyon and often include favorites like Bridal Veil Falls, Spearfish Falls, and Roughlock Falls. Conditions can vary by season and weather, but this tour is designed to include the waterfall portion when it makes sense.

Do you include professional photos?

Yes, when possible. We build in time for photos, and professional quality photos are included and shared after the tour.

Can we stop in small towns or historic places along the way?

Yes. One of the strengths of this tour is the backroad travel through the countryside. If you want, we can include time for little known towns and stagecoach era stops when they fit the timing and flow of the day.

Is Deadwood included?

Deadwood is optional. If your group wants a quick drive through, we can do that. Many guests prefer to use that time for more scenery, more canyon stops, or a different point of interest instead.

Do you offer a lunch option?

Yes. You can add a picnic style lunch for $20 per person, and we highly recommend it. It saves time and keeps the day flowing.

What happens if we go over 10 hours?

Your tour is planned as a 10 hour day. If you choose to extend beyond that, additional time is $99 per hour.

What should we bring?

Dress in layers, wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring a light jacket even in summer. Sunglasses, sunscreen, and a phone or camera for photos are always a good idea.

Availability and Booking

Pick a date and see real-time availability. Please take note that we’ll call after your booking to adjust pickup times if necessary.

Book Your Devils Tower And Spearfish Canyon Adventure

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Devils Tower and Spearfish Canyon Adventure

Experience Devils Tower and Spearfish Canyon at Their Best

This tour is designed for guests who want more than a quick stop or a rushed checklist. We build the day around real time at Devils Tower and in Spearfish Canyon, with the flexibility to choose the right trail, pause at overlooks, and enjoy the waterfalls when conditions allow. The experience is private, nature first, and guided with context so what you’re seeing makes sense, not just looks beautiful.

If a full day of wide open scenery, limestone cliffs, canyon creek views, and one of the most iconic landmarks in the country sounds like your kind of adventure, we’d love to guide you through it.

Helpful Links for Planning

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Official and Helpful Resources

Devils Tower National Monument (National Park Service)
Spearfish Canyon, Black Hills National Forest (US Forest Service)
Sanford Underground Research Facility Visitor Center (Lead, SD)
Devils Tower fees and passes, National Park Service
Forest Service For the Northern Black Hills
South Dakota 511 road conditions and alerts

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