Whitewood Creek was once the dominant feature of Deadwood, and sometimes its most destructive. Early images show it running under several bridges between Main and Sherman streets. Near its confluence with City Creek, some of the town’s first permanent structures appeared, and the stone foundations of the Deadwood Theater, which burned in 1952, can still be seen along the creek.

A flood in May 1883 destroyed about 150 buildings and took three lives. Flooding kept returning until the 1960s, when the creek was contained beneath what is now US 85 and 14A. The city’s walking tour begins with signs overlooking the creek, reached by a ramp beside the parking garage across Pine Street from the History and Information Center.

For a longer look, the city’s Whitewood Creek Trail is a 2.7-mile out-and-back that parallels the water past historical segments of town. It is accessible year-round and dogs are allowed.