Head one mile west of the Scenic Byway at Savoy on Forest Service Road 222 and you reach the Spearfish Canyon Nature Area. That's the state's day-use park around Roughlock Falls, Spearfish Falls and Savoy Pond. It's open year-round and has no entrance fee. For most of the year you can drive almost to the falls on that road. On December 15 the car route closes, and the falls stay reachable from a different starting point.
South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks lists the winter rule in one line. Road 222 from Savoy to Roughlock Falls is closed from December 15 through March 31 during snowmobile season. The trail from Spearfish Canyon Lodge to Roughlock Falls stays open year-round, at your own risk. For about three and a half months, the Lodge parking lot is the way in. More of the canyon's winter activity is based there than anywhere else in the upper canyon.
Two Ways to Roughlock Falls, and Only One Closes
There are two routes to the same falls. They're treated differently once the snow season starts.
| Route to Roughlock Falls | Starts from | December 15 to March 31 |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Service Road 222 | Savoy, off the Scenic Byway | Closed to cars for snowmobile season |
| Roughlock Falls Trail | Spearfish Canyon Lodge | Open year-round, use at your own risk |
Visit Spearfish's 2026 adventure guide calls the Roughlock Falls Trail a maintained trail that starts at Spearfish Canyon Lodge. In summer it's one of two ways in. In winter, if you're on foot, it's the only one. The Nature Area's own activity list includes snowshoeing and snowshoe checkout, so the park plans for people on snowshoes after the road closes.
Game, Fish and Parks' Black Hills snowmobile trail map ties Spearfish Canyon Lodge, the Spearfish Canyon parking lot and Roughlock Falls to Trail #4. That means from mid-December on, sleds and snowshoers head toward the same falls from the same end of the canyon, on separate routes.
The Lodge Lot Becomes the Canyon's Winter Hub
The Lodge is where the walking trail starts. It's also where the canyon's winter rentals are based. Spearfish Canyon Lodge rents Polaris snowmobiles from December 15 through March 31, the same dates the road is closed to cars. The Lodge describes its fleet as brand new and points riders to "350 miles of Black Hills winter wonderland," with online booking. The Lodge also lists snowshoe rentals from December through March.
Here's what the Lodge currently lists for the winter months:
- Snowmobile rentals: Polaris sleds, December 15 to March 31, with online booking
- Snowshoe rentals: December through March
- Snowshoe Adventure Package: one or two nights of lodging plus a full day of snowshoe rentals for two, offered October through April; call the Lodge for pricing
- The Latchstring Restaurant: open year-round, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 605-584-3435
Winter hours can change. A call to the Latchstring before a weekday morning trip is worth the minute it takes.
The package is the one winter offering that starts before the road closes, since it's offered from October. If you have family coming in for the holidays and want a snowshoe day with a night in the canyon, the Lodge can quote it now.
Visit Spearfish's snowmobiling page calls Savoy a popular trailhead. It says trails open around December 15 and are groomed nightly. Grooming depends on snow, so the actual first ride of the season depends on the weather as much as the calendar.
The Five Weeks Before the Switch, and the Season After
This post is out November 12, which leaves about five weeks of open road to Roughlock Falls. The canyon's winter calendar runs in this order:
- Thursday, November 26: Spearfish Canyon Lodge hosts its Thanksgiving Brunch at the Main Lodge and the Latchstring. The Lodge says its events sell out fast and recommends booking early.
- Saturday, December 5, 6 p.m.: The Holidazzle Parade runs downtown. It's the town's event, not the canyon's, but it lands in the last stretch before the road changes.
- Tuesday, December 15: Road 222 closes to cars from Savoy to Roughlock Falls. The state's snowmobile season opens, and Lodge snowmobile rentals start.
- Friday, December 18: This is the overall completion date the South Dakota Department of Transportation set for its $1.3 million rock-buttress and landslide repair on US 14A, about half a mile north of Cheyenne Crossing. The project's traffic plan called for one lane controlled by temporary signals. SDDOT's project release has the details.
- Wednesday, March 31: Road 222's winter closure, the state snowmobile season and Lodge snowmobile rentals all end on the same day.
If you plan to bring your own sled onto the trail system, Game, Fish and Parks' snowmobiling page says snowmobiles must be licensed. It lists a resident license at $10 a year and a five-day temporary permit for nonresidents at $40. This is general information, not legal advice, so please confirm current requirements with Game, Fish and Parks before you ride.
Down the Canyon, Another Trailhead Moved to a Building
Roughlock's winter shift is a seasonal version of a change that has already happened lower in the canyon. The Devil's Bathtub trail used to start at the bridge at Cleopatra Place. The Black Hills Pioneer reported that a dramatic increase in foot traffic led officials to close that area to parking. They made the parking lot at Homestake's old Hydroelectric Plant No. 2 the trail's starting point instead.
Homestake built Hydro No. 2 in 1917, and the state took it over after Homestake sold the building. It's listed on the national historic register. On February 11, 2026, Gov. Larry Rhoden signed House Bill 1052. It authorizes Game, Fish and Parks to transfer the plant to the Spearfish Canyon Foundation. The Pioneer's report on the signing gave July 1 as the date the transfer would become official. It quoted the governor's social media post about the site:
"After touring the site, it's clear it has strong potential for preservation and public education."
The Foundation wants to make the building a historic preservation site and interpretive center. In the same article, Foundation treasurer Myles Kennedy put the repair need at about $2 million. Foundation president Jerry Krambeck said the order is the roof first, then windows, then fencing, and the fencing has to be done before the building can open to the public. Krambeck estimated contractors could start repairs in spring 2027 at the earliest. South Dakota Searchlight reported that the Foundation planned to pay for the work with grants and local support, not state renovation money.
That gives Spearfish Canyon two trailheads anchored to buildings. This winter, the Lodge lot is the starting point for Roughlock Falls and the trailhead for Trail #4. At the Devil's Bathtub trailhead, the plant beside the parking lot has a repair list and a spring 2027 target for work to begin.
If you're thinking about a place close to the canyon trailheads, or just want to know how a winter road closure affects a property's access, I'm glad to talk it through, season by season. Reach out to Sandra Donahue. Let's Connect.
