Photo: KLindblom · CC BY-SA 4.0Roughlock Falls
If you're passing
Is it plungeworthy?
A 3-tier tiered on Little Spearfish Creek.
The details
- Tiers
- 3 drops
- Type
- Tiered
- Watercourse
- Little Spearfish Creek
- Coordinates
- 44.35, -103.94277
About Roughlock Falls
Roughlock Falls is a tiered in South Dakota, on Little Spearfish Creek. The water falls in 3 distinct tiers.
It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.
Plungeworthy rates Roughlock Falls 5.2/10 — if you're passing. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
Little Spearfish Creek tumbling about 50 feet in lacy limestone cascades rather than one clean plunge — the family favorite of the Spearfish Canyon cluster, made a state nature area in 2008. (Databases listing 0 feet just never filled in the number.)
This is one of the few reliable places in the Black Hills to watch the American dipper — the songbird that walks underwater to feed. Elk and bighorn frequent the surrounding canyon.
The trail is the gentlest waterfall walk in western South Dakota: benches along the way, gradual grade, water in sight most of the route.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Just beyond Spearfish Canyon Lodge along Forest Service Road 222, Savoy
- Parking
- Trailhead lots on FS 222
- Road
- FS Road 222 — CLOSED from Savoy Dec 15 through Mar 31 for snowmobile season
- Hike
- 2 mi round trip, 183 ft of climb (Easy, family-friendly, benches along the trail)
- Heads up
- Shares the Spearfish Canyon Nature Area network with Spearfish Falls.
When to go
April through early December for straightforward access — the direct road from Savoy closes mid-December to end of March.
Spring through fall for birding; fall for canyon color.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- Free — no entrance fee
- Dogs
- Statewide SD GFP rule: leash 10 feet or less (Oct 1-Mar 31 off-leash-under-control exception)
- Hours
- Day use only
- Camping
- None at the nature area
Researched from Wikipedia — Roughlock Falls Nature Area · Visit Spearfish — Roughlock Falls Trail · SD Game, Fish & Parks — Spearfish Canyon Nature Area. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Roughlock Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
Where is Roughlock Falls?
Roughlock Falls is a waterfall in South Dakota, at 44.35, -103.94277.
Is Roughlock Falls worth visiting?
If you're passing — Plungeworthy rates it 5.2/10.
Gear for the trip
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