The western side of South Dakota is a beautiful place with mountains, lakes, scenic views, hiking and more. We got to enjoy that when visiting Custer State Park and got to enjoy much the same when hiking to both Roughlock Falls and Spearfish Falls.
The trails to both sets of waterfalls were fairly easy and are well worth checking out as they’re in pretty settings in Spearfish Canyon.
Here’s more about both trails and sets of waterfalls.
Roughlock Falls Trail
The Roughlock Falls trail is about one mile each way and is an out-and-back trail. You can drive all the way up to the viewing platforms if you want to bypass the hike; like I mentioned earlier though, the trail is pretty easy and so I’d recommend hiking there as it’s a lovely trail.
There’s a large parking lot at the Roughlock Falls trailhead; you can find it here on Google Maps in case you want to get driving directions.
There’s a pit toilet by the parking lot if you need to use that before setting off.
The start of the Roughlock Falls trail is right next to the parking lot and pit toilet. As you can see in the photo below, dogs are allowed on the trail provided they’re on a leash and so we brought Truffles with us as she loves a good hike.
Just after setting off there was a map showing that the Roughlock Falls trail continued off to the right, with the Savoy Trail heading off to the left. You can take the Savoy Trail part of the way down to the Spearfish Falls trail, but there’s also a parking lot down there which is what we used later that day.
There were a number of information boards along the way sharing details about the flora and fauna, the area’s geology, etc.
The trail follows Little Spearfish Creek up to the falls which makes the hike there through the canyon even more pretty.
The trail was very clear all the way along – there was never any danger of getting lost. It was level in some places, while slightly uphill or downhill in others, but never anything strenuous.
Shortly before arriving at Roughlock Falls, there was a fork in the path.
There was a trail map at this point which showed that the route off to the left was only a short offshoot, so we decided to take that first.
This short offshoot led to a viewing platform…
…where there were some mini waterfalls that were enhanced by all the moss growing in the water. It almost felt like something out of Hobbiton.
After enjoying those mini falls for a while, we continued on to the larger set – Roughlock Falls.
There were a few viewing platforms there giving different vantage points of the falls.
There’s a parking lot right next to the falls, so you can drive all the way up to them if you’d rather not hike. I don’t remember there being any stairs on the platforms, so those with mobility issues or in a wheelchair should also be able to enjoy the different views of the falls.
It was almost 1pm by the time we got there, so we decided to have a picnic lunch by the creek feeding the falls. It was lovely listening to the rushing water and seeing some of the small cascades in the distance.
The creek was very shallow before the falls, so it seemed like it’d be a wonderful place to go for a paddle in the summer. We visited mid-May when the water was much colder though; Shae briefly dipped her feet in the water before thinking better of it!
Truffles meanwhile is made of sterner stuff than we are and so dipped her paws in and had a little drink.
There had been a pit toilet back at the start of the Roughlock Falls trail and there were additional pit toilets at the parking lot by the falls.
After finishing our lunch, we hiked back down the same trail. Towards the end of the trail there was a walkway crossing a dam across Little Spearfish Creek, so we took a wander over to the other side. From there it was only a short walk back to the parking lot at the trailhead.
Spearfish Falls Trail
After finishing up at Roughlock Falls, we drove a quarter-mile back down the road to the Latchstring Restaurant (find it on Google Maps here) as there’s parking there to hike down to Spearfish Falls.
In the parking lot there was an information board about Spearfish Canyon, as well as a trail map showing the route down to Spearfish Falls along with other nearby hiking trails (including the one we’d just done up to Roughlock Falls).
The Spearfish Falls trail is only 0.75 miles each way, so it’s not a long distance. It’s classed as a moderate hike because you have to hike back uphill after seeing the falls, but it’s not very steep.
Similar to the Roughlock Falls trail, the Spearfish Falls trail has a number of information boards.
There are also signs of past life in the area, including this old rusted vehicle.
After crossing over Spearfish Creek…
…it wasn’t long before we arrived at the falls seeing as it was only 0.75 miles and was downhill most of the way.
Our phones have a long exposure setting on the camera which makes for some nice photos of waterfalls and running water.
There were a few different spots down there to view the waterfall and get photos from slightly different vantage points.
After enjoying the falls for a little while, we hiked back up to our car and headed back to our hotel.
Final Thoughts
South Dakota seems to be very proud of Spearfish Canyon and I can see why. There’s some lovely hiking, pretty waterfalls and great views through the canyon. If you visit Deadwood, Rapid City or that general area, we can definitely recommend taking a trip out to Spearfish Canyon to see Roughlock Falls and Spearfish Falls there.
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