Spearfish Canyon State Park proposal spurs more opposition

First announced by South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard a year ago, public hearings on a proposed Spearfish Canyon State Park are drawing lots of interest.

Spearfish Canyon along U.S. 14A

And there doesn't seem to be a lot of support for the concept, which hinges on a "land swap" of state land for U.S. Forest Service land.

Even Forest Service officials expressed opposition to the land swap deal, despite early support from U.S. Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds.

Yesterday (1/26/17) at a public forum in the Spearfish Park Pavilion, the public weighed in on the proposal.  According to the Rapid City Journal, it was a "raucous crowd of about 400 people," most of whom strongly oppose the plan. (Read the RC Journal story here.) 

We were supportive a few years ago when South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks developed and improved the facilities around Roughlock Falls, which would appear to be smack-dab in the middle of the proposed new Spearfish Canyon State Park.  But there was no revelation  back then that state officials would return a few years later with plans for a Spearfish Canyon State Park.

To learn more about the proposed state park, you can take a look at the website Spearfish Canyon.sd.gov which was developed by the State of South Dakota.  It provides background information on the project, including information about the master plan, maps, history, and other updates. 

And, if you're so inclined, you'll find our views on the proposal at Black Hills Monitor.

Fall colors in the northern Black Hills

With all the hype over fall colors across the Black Hills, it seemed prudent to sneak a peek before they fade and we find ourselves trudging through snow.

Well, hype it may be, but we couldn't help but get caught up -- as we always do -- with the beauty of our region.  A bit later in the day than we wanted, we were winding through Spearfish Canyon beyond Roughlock Falls to Forest Service Road 222.  A small side road offered the scene above in the waning moments of daylight.

This was a gentle reminder of why we chose the Black Hills as home. 

Re-discovering Roughlock Falls

A couple of weeks ago, we went on a photo shoot up Spearfish Canyon with Tom Griffith of TDG Communications of Deadwood. We were looking for a scenic spot that exemplifies the beauty of the northern Black Hills. Tom suggested Roughlock Falls.

My first choice would have been Spearfish Falls, or perhaps even Bridal Veil Falls. Having visited Roughlock a few times over the years, I felt it lagged far behind the beauty of the other falls. I knew that the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks folks had done some work out there recently, but I’d not seen Roughlock in probably 18 months.

Wow! Kudos to the GF&P Department for planning and developing this location in a tasteful and durable way. I think it is a powerful enhancement for Roughlock Falls, and it helps visitors enjoy this captivating area just west of Savoy.

Game, Fish & Parks spent about $600,000 on revitalizing the area around the falls. They’ve added a well-constructed walkway, new restrooms, and numerous picnic tables. Their signage does an excellent job of telling the history of the area and revealing how Roughlock got its unusual name. GF&P deserves a pat on the back. They did a first-class job.

We were so impressed after our visit there with Tom, that we drove back the next day, accompanied by Roger and Fran Whorton of Spearfish. They’re another couple of relatively-new retirees to the northern Hills, and I think it’s safe to say they were equally impressed with the site. We enjoyed a tasty picnic lunch after hiking the area and snapping a few pictures.

By the way, Roger and Fran are celebrating their 42nd wedding anniversary this week. They’re a delightful couple who’ve become good friends. They’re also members of our newly-formed pinochle group, which I think is called the Spearfish Area Pinochle Society (SAPS). We gotta change that name.

As you have occasion to drive up Spearfish Canyon on Highway 14A, which is a National Scenic Byway, I encourage you to swing over to visit Roughlock Falls. After driving south out of Spearfish for about 12 miles, you'll reach Savoy. Staying on 14A to the left, you can navigate to Cheyenne Crossing (and that's another story!) or you can turn right -- which is west -- and go about one mile to Roughlock Falls. You might want to take a look at the Game, Fish and Parks website to gain some Roughlock Falls information, so you’ll have a bit of background about what’s there and its history. We've also added a few Roughlock Falls photos to our Spearfish Canyon photo gallery that we started last winter.

The magnificent beauty in and around Spearfish Canyon is another reason so many folks choose the Black Hills of South Dakota for retirement.