They came. They saw. They listened. They learned.

Some of them hiked.

Many took pictures.

A few leaned over bridge railings to peer longingly down at brown and brook trout, gracefully tailing in the cool waters of Little Spearfish Creek below.

Some people even got their feet wet, dangling them off boardwalk patios that were especially designed for such simple riparian pleasures.

In all, more than 150 people turned out Sunday for an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Roughlock Falls Nature Area in Spearfish Canyon near Savoy.

They listened politely, of course, as state Game, Fish & Park Department Secretary Jeff Vonk of Pierre talked about the beauty and value of Roughlock Falls and its surroundings, as well as the partnerships that helped turn it into a spruced-up part of the state park system.

They heard similar words from Rich Haddock, vice president for environment for Barrick Gold Corp., previous owner of the property through its acquisition of the Homestake Gold Mine. Spearfish Mayor Jerry Krambeck was there, too, as was Susan Johnson, president of the Spearfish Canyon Foundation, to discuss the important of Roughlock preservation to the future of the Northern Black Hills.

The small crowd applauded as the day's dignitaries sliced through a ribbon on the bridge leading to a secluded Roughlock Falls picnic area, making the event official.

But what most visitors really wanted was a chance to explore - to stroll the new boardwalks, get a gander at the falls that was virtually impossible in the past, check out the new interpretive signs and, for the more ambitious, make the two-mile round-trip hike down to Spearfish Canyon Lodge and back.

Along the trail, they might well have encountered Vonk and state parks division director Doug Hofer, who couldn't help but wander a bit themselves, once the official ceremonies were finished.

Hofer basked in the warm glow of public compliments, which aren't always guaranteed to GF&P officials.

"The most frequent comments I heard were that the boardwalk and views below the falls were 'awesome,'" Hofer said. "They felt like the improvements and interpretive displays really complement the natural beauty of the area. And one comment I heard several times was, 'Wow, the removal of the chain-link fence was a wonderful improvement.'"

The industrial-looking fencing went up during the Homestake days, when the company graciously allowed access to the area but nonetheless tried to control it with the somewhat imposing chain-link barriers. That fence has been removed, replaced by new boardwalks, sidewalks and viewing platforms that provide easy access to stunning views of the falls.

Through an environmental settlement years ago with Homestake and Barrick Gold, Roughlock is a waterfall-come-lately to the state parks system. The tumbling portion of Little Spearfish Creek and 38 acres of adjoining water, woods, meadows and marsh are now better signed and cared for, and even more appealing than ever.

More visitors are expected now. And they're expected to stay longer.

But GF&P has other plans for Roughlock Falls Nature Area, too, according to Brad Block, a parks division interpretive specialist working out of Custer State Park.

"We've already been in communications with schools like Spearfish and Lead-Deadwood," Block said. "We can literally use that area as an outdoor classroom for those school districts in the northern Black Hills."

Custer State Park already works with school officials in Custer and other southern hills communities on similar outdoor-learning efforts. Block expects similar projects at Roughlock.

"Like the kids in Custer who grow up with a mindset of seeing buffalo on the Wildlife Loop Road, northern hills kids can grow up with mindset of walking up through that wetland and woods with those cliffs overhead to Roughlock Falls," Block said. "The falls and that whole area have such diversity and such unique cultural and natural history, we think it would be a great outdoor classroom."

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com