Have you ever asked yourself the question, " Where is the best place to live for a nature photographer?" Do I live in the best location possible or is there somewhere better? We all know the favorite locations that photographers travel to extensively, Yellowstone, Bosque Del Apache, Sanibel Island, Alaska...etc. But these are not always great places to live. What opportunities do you have close to home? This is truly where most of our images are made and where we spend the most time. It seems to make sense to live in an area that lends itself to outstanding photographic opportunities.

When my wife and I moved from Denver we knew we wanted to stay in the Rocky Mountain west or western Great Plains. This limited our choices significantly when you consider cost of living, population base and top quality nature photography locations. One choice stood out as consistently providing the best opportunities for a nature photographer while also offering a reasonable cost of living and comfortable lifestyle... Spearfish, South Dakota.

We chose Spearfish for many reasons but it became my top choice as it has a broad variety of photographic subjects within a very short distance. I have an almost endless supply of photo subjects within a two-hour drive in almost any direction. Located at the northern edge of the Black Hills, Spearfish (home to Black Hills State University) is the largest town in the area with a population of about 12,000 people. While small by many state's standards, for South Dakota, this is a pretty good-sized town. We have a Wal-Mart, Safeway, coffee houses, movie theatre and several chain restaurants. Growing quickly, it is becoming the main hub for the Northern Hills.

The town of Spearfish was erected at the mouth of historic Spearfish Canyon soon after Gen. George Armstrong Custer's expedition discovered gold in the Black Hills. Downstream from the famous town of Deadwood, it was less rowdy and more of a stage and supply stop for cargo and wagon trains. Lets take a quick tour of the opportunities available to the willing photographer within a two-hour drive of town.

Being this close to beautiful Spearfish Canyon allows a nature photographer the opportunity to be shooting waterfalls, rugged canyon walls, wildflower meadows, creek scenes or stunning fall colors within minutes from town. Spearfish Canyon is believed to be 12 times older than the Grand Canyon and represents several different habitat zones along its 20-mile length. By receiving the heaviest and most consistent snowfall in the Hills and having one of the best fall color displays, Spearfish Canyon provides incredible photo opportunities year round.

If you head northwest of Spearfish toward Wyoming you discover Devil's Tower National Monument. Featured in several different Hollywood films and carrying a rich history of Indian lore, Devil's Tower is a wonderful destination for a nature photographer. The Tower itself makes for a great subject but add to that prairie dog towns, a whitetail deer herd, a variety of bird life, wildflowers and the striking red dirt cliffs of the Belle Fourche River and this can be a photographer's playground. Depending on road conditions, you can get to Devil's Tower from Spearfish in about 45 minutes.

The area immediately surrounding Spearfish is ranch country and ranches by their very nature can provide almost limitless photo opportunities. Just a knock on the door or a quick phone call can provide access to hundreds of thousands of acres of prairie ranch land. Many of these ranches are home to sharp tail grouse, ring neck pheasants, prairie chickens, whitetail deer, mule deer, coyotes, prairie dogs, swift fox, red fox, badger, pronghorn, many, many species of songbirds and raptors. Don't forget the historic quality of the ranches themselves.

One morning on a friend's prairie ranch I photographed Horned Larks, Meadow Larks, Sharp Tail Grouse, Upland Plovers and Pronghorn Antelope all without leaving the comfort of my pop-up blind. This type of opportunity is available to almost anyone who is willing to invest the time and effort in developing friendships with the ranchers and landowners.

Less than 20 miles away and towering over 1,000 above the surrounding plains is Bear Butte state park. A long dormant volcano, called Mato Paha (Bear Mountain) by the Lakota Sioux, Bear Butte holds mystical powers for many of the Plains Indian tribes and was the location for many braves vision quests. Bear Butte is home to a buffalo heard, a large lake filled with fish and waterfowl, wild turkey, whitetail and mule deer and many species of prairie songbirds. Don't forget the striking views of the Butte itself.

Heading south from Spearfish opens a different photographic door than what is available in the immediate vicinity. Custer State Park, a 1.5 hour drive of downtown Spearfish, is home to Bison, Pronghorn, Big Horn Sheep, Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Mountain Goats, Elk, Coyotes, Prairie Dogs, Raptors & Songbirds and striking Great Plains scenery. This park is truly a gem for a Black Hills photographer. Having a good day in Custer State Park could easily provide you with hundreds of photo opportunities without even needing to the leave the roadside. Like any place wild, Custer doesn't always cooperate but the animals are still there...it may just take some work to go find them. One of my best days in Custer yielded images of Big Horn Sheep, Bison, Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Prairie Dogs, Cottontail Rabbits, Pronghorn Antelope and Mountain Goats...all before 12:00 noon. It is worth the drive!

Traveling out onto the prairie south and east of Spearfish is one of the Great Plains unique treasures...Badlands National Park. Looking almost like an outer space set from a bad science fiction movie it is one of the most unique landscapes on the planet. Striking in almost any light, the Badlands can be photographed in all seasons, providing a different look each time you go. Better known for its striking landscapes, the Badlands is also home to many photogenic wildlife species as well including Bison, Big Horn Sheep, Pronghorn, Prairie Dog, Coyote and a plethora of bird life with unique species such as Burrowing Owls and Golden Eagles often seen and photographed. On its western border is also the largest road-less tract of land in the lower 48 states. I can typically get to the western end of the Badlands in just over two hours depending on weather conditions.

There are many different ways to experience the Hills with one of the best being the Mickelson Trail. Accessible from many locations, the Mickelson Trail runs the length of the Black Hills and provides access to many areas not available to the car bound photographer. It replaces the old Burlington / Northern Railroad line and was completed in September 1998. Hiking, biking, horseback riding or driving a snowmobile over the length of the trail opens up many opportunities to the adventurous photographer.

The heart of the Hills carries a rich vault of landscape and historic treasures too numerous to list. It covers over one million acres and is divided into three distinct habitat zones offering varied wildlife and landscape opportunities. The southern end near the town of Edgemont is Pinion Pine and Cedar Break country with striking red dirt cliffs and many different deep-carving canyons. Moving north near the towns of Custer and Hill City is the heart of the Hills. This area is covered in Ponderosa Pine with large granite rock outcroppings and is rich in history being the location of many ghost towns and extinct mining claims.

The northern Hills near the towns of Lead, Deadwood and our starting location of Spearfish is the third zone with the Ponderosa Pine giving way to Black Hills and Blue Spruce. The granite outcroppings now become replaced by limestone and the canyons become deeper and more ruggedly carved. Each area of the Hills provides uniquely different photographic opportunities and is begging to be explored.

With the unique Black Hills and the western Great Plains as its back yard, a variety of wildlife, the proximity to striking landscapes and the low cost of living makes Spearfish and the northern Black Hills of South Dakota my top pick to live as a nature photographer.

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