Exploring the Spearfish Canyon Trails At Savoy
The Spearfish Canyon Trails at Savoy feature a system of three interconnected trails that lead to three fantastic and unique destinations: Roughlock Falls, Spearfish Falls, and Savoy Pond. Each section of trail is an out-and-back hike with the Roughlock Falls Trailhead at the center. To get there, just take Highway 14A to Savoy, then turn onto Roughlock Falls Road. You will find the trailhead parking lot on the left just past Spearfish Canyon Lodge.
The great thing about this trail system is that you can choose to hike one, two, or all three of them depending on how much of the Spearfish Canyon Nature Area you want to explore or how much time you have. All the trails are very well maintained and easy to walk. I recently hiked all three and it took me a little over two hours to walk nearly six miles in total.
From the trailhead, take the main trail to the right to reach Roughlock Falls. The trail follows Little Spearfish Creek and winds through the surrounding forest for about a mile. Openings in the trees offer scenic views of Spearfish Canyon’s rock walls. And the area provides plenty of opportunities for birdwatching along the trail and even trout fishing in the creek.
The trail will bring you to the lower viewing platform where you can walk out onto the wooden deck for a closer look at the falls. It’s easy to understand why this is one of the most popular destinations in Spearfish Canyon as you look at the water cascading over the moss-covered rocks.
Once you have enjoyed the falls from the lower level, walk across the bridge over Little Spearfish Creek and follow the paved path up the hill to see the falls from above. There are two viewing platforms on either side that provide a better look at the upper falls. If you continue on the path away from the falls it will take you to a small park that is perfect for a picnic or family gathering. You will even find a public restroom here.
Starting again at the trailhead, follow the main trail to the left and it will take you to Savoy Pond. Note that the sign here says the trail is two miles one way, but it is actually only about one mile to the pond. This trail is relatively new and was completed in 2018. It was added to give visitors to the Spearfish Canyon Nature Area more paths to explore.
The trail follows along an old aqueduct that was used to bring water to a hydroelectric plant further down the canyon. I found this to be a very pleasant hike with more scenic views of the Spearfish Canyon walls. I did see that there was at least one side trail leading further up into the woods, but I decided to stay on the main trail this day.
My favorite sight at Savoy Pond is the tiered series of waterfalls. They were built as a ladder system to allow fish to swim up and across the Savoy Pond dam so that they can travel freely along Spearfish Creek. The pond is known to be a popular fishing spot in the area and there are more trails that will take you along the edge of the water.
The trail to Spearfish Falls is located on the far side of the Latchstring Restaurant. To get there from the Roughlock Falls trailhead, simply follow the main trail to the left towards Savoy Ponds. After a short distance, you will see another trail branch off to the left that will take you over a small bridge and past Spearfish Canyon Lodge. (Or if you are returning from Savoy Pond, you’ll take this trail before you reach the trailhead.) Once you cross Highway 14A, walk to the left of Latchstring Restaurant and look for the paved walkway. It will lead past a public restroom and then to the start of the dirt trail down to Spearfish Falls.
This is the shortest of the three trails at about 1.5 miles round trip. It starts off with some relatively steep switchbacks, but then evens out at the bottom and becomes an easy walk the rest of the way to the falls. On the way you will cross one wooden bridge that spans Spearfish Creek. I thought this was a great spot to stop and enjoy the sounds of the rushing water.
A little further past the bridge, the trail opens up a bit and then ends at the lower observation deck in front of Spearfish Falls. Here you will have a perfect view of the falls as the water pours down the 47-foot drop to the creek below.
While you can hike all three trails in any order you choose, I think I chose the best order and I’m glad I saved Spearfish Falls for the end. It was a great way to finish a fun afternoon exploring the Spearfish Canyon Nature Area.
