Peak color change expected in Spearfish Canyon

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - The peak color change in Spearfish Canyon is expected this week. The swath of trees near the hydro plant building at Devil’s Bathtub trailhead, the bowl at Savoy, and Roughlock Falls are the closest to nearing peak color change, according to a release from The Spearfish Chamber.

As the nights get longer and the days get shorter, a hormone is triggered in the Canyon’s birch and aspen that sends a chemical message to the leaves to drop. A gust of wind may help the progress along, but wind is not the only factor.

Read more about the science behind leaf drop here: https://www.npr.org/2009/10/30/114288700/why-leaves-really-fall-off-trees