This is a great trail for the family especially if your children are a bit older, my son was 12 at the time so its a perfect age. I would not recommend this trail if you have toddlers unless you plan on carrying them. The trail is not widely marked. In addition to that there are exposed tree roots, slippery stones through stream crossing and some rock climbing of ledges in order to get to the mouth of Devil’s Bathtub. So keep that in mind before hiking this trail. The trail its self is not long 1.6miles. Many hike this trail in order to experience the “bathtub” by cooling off in fresh stream. However, when my family and I hiked this trail the temperatures that day were in the low 70’s and as we further hiked into the woods the temps cooled off even more. It would of been refreshing to have done this hike 2 days prior when the temps were in the mid 90’s, of course that’s when we were hiking the Badlands National Park. Live and learn, I guess, nonetheless it was a great hike that worked up a good sweat. We used walking sticks throughout the hike to help across several streams with loose slippery rocks. We ended up climbing some of the canyon’s ledges in order to get right up on the starting base of the waterfall aka Devil’s bathtub. And do not be fooled, there is a small waterfall and many think this is the Devil’s Bathtub, but its not there is a larger waterfall where the clean fresh water pools into a bigger bathtub. I cannot tell you how many hikers stop at the first small waterfall thinking that’s the main attraction only to feel a little bit cheated. That’s not the spot, you’ll know when you reach the bathtub. Overall great hiking experience, the water is sooo clean, Spearfish Canyon’s untouched natural wonder.
