Devil’s Bathtub: What to do at Spearfish Canyon
What to do at Spearfish Canyon?
Spearfish Canyon provides a breathtaking view of a deep canyon cutting through the Black Hills of South Dakota. Besides driving through, What is there to do at Spearfish Canyon? Plenty! Visitors have a variety of options certain to leave everyone with wonderful memories of Spearfish Canyon.
While visiting the canyon, visitors have plenty of options like
- Checking out waterfalls
- Enjoying scenic views of the canyon
- Hiking
- Swimming
- Watching wildlife
- Enjoying a bite to eat in nearby Lead, SD or Spearfish, SD
Why did we visit Spearfish Canyon?
Very simply to visit Devil’s Bathtub!
You might be asking, what the heck? Why would anyone visit a place like that? Or, in a place like that only two outcomes are possible and both are bad, right? Well yes and no!
Is Devil’s Bathtub Dangerous?
It certainly can be. Even if you’re very careful, things can go wrong. If they do it’s going to be a long day. So be careful.
Having said that, we saw all kinds of people. Young kids to retired people. Some in great physical fitness and others well, not so much. So, pretty much anyone who wants to put in the effort and be cautious can get back to Devil’s Bathtub.
What is this Devil’s Bathtub? And Why would the Devil care about bathing?
I have no idea why the devil would care about bathing, but apparently this is where it happens. What is Devil’s Bathtub on the other hand is a something that deeply intrigued me! Over a bunch of years (science can back that up), the water cut away layers of rock and made a silky smooth creek bed for the water to rush down in a tidal pool below. So this naturally occurring creek bottom emptying into a tidal pool is the bathtub.
I hear there is a “false” Devil’s Bathtub before the “real” Devil’s Bathtub. That might be true. Okay, I think it’s definitely true. On our visit the water was whooshing down the creek. At a rate fast enough to sweep you off your feet. We stopped at the first water slide. Believing we arrived, we sized up the “Devil’s Bathtub”, devised a plan, and cautiously entered the water.
Our predication of being swept off our feet was 100% true! A gentle push off and I was flying (I mean sliding) down the creek bed. My three thoughts in the moment were
- COOOLLLLLDDDD WATER
- THIS IS BUMPY
- DON’T HIT YOUR HEAD AND DROWN
- I DON’T WANT TO DIE TODAY (that was a bonus!)
What is the Devil’s Bathtub Trail like?
The Devil’s Bathtub trail is about 1 mile out and 1 mile back from the parking lot located near the Homestake #2 Hydro Electric Plant. Parking next to the old brick building take the dirt trail on the downhill side of the parking lot. Follow the creek for about an 1/8 of a mile to a bridge crossing the creek. Cross the bridge.
Watch the signs and pay attention to the trail because Devil’s Bathtub trail is next to private property. So, don’t trespass please!
Following the trail is tricky! Devil’s Bathtub trail criss crosses the creek about 12 times each way. With any decent water flow, your feet will be wet. So, wear shoes that are good to get wet. We opt’d for sandals with velcro straps. Thank you Wal-Mart for making my knock off chacos.
Once you splish splash your way a mile down the trail, you’ll find the pretend bathtub. And if you’re like me, it’s “good enough” and you’ll go for it. Or, you can hike on another 1/4 mile (at most) for the “real” Devil’s Bathtub. Then you take your chances climbing up steep walls just to slide down. Too me, that added more danger than I was willing to take. Remember, I already prayed NOT TO DIE! So, no need to break a commandment and tempt God!
I remained contented with Hell’s Hole. Is that the proper name for the pretend bathtub? It is now! Spread the word!!
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Beyond Devil’s Bathtub and Hell’s Hole, what else is there to do at Spearfish Canyon?
What are the Three Waterfalls in Spearfish Canyon?
- Roughlock Falls
- Bridal Veil Falls
- Spearfish Falls
Roughlock Falls
Roughlock Falls provided a great first stop in Spearfish Canyon for us after driving from Rafter J Bar Ranch campground in Hill City! Spearfish Canyon is about 2 hours from Hill City, with minimal traffic, to Roughlock Falls. We made a quick stopover in Lead, South Dakota to see a giant hole in the ground!
Once upon a time, the giant hole produced 40 million ounces of gold. “They” say it’s closed now so put away your shovel and pick-ax. Our Guide Along tour guide, we named him Justin, told us in a particle accelerator buried deep under Lead, SD some really smart scientist were able to recreate dark matter. I can’t pretend to know what the heck that is, so do your own diligence if you want to know more.
Anywho, we thought the giant ring was cool and snapped a picture. Off we went for Spearfish Canyon!
Back to Roughlock Falls
Roughlock Falls has two hiking options
- Hike by foot up a paved path that wanders from lower ground to higher ground along the creek side. It looked pretty. We selected option 2
- Hike by car up the gravel road to the upper parking lot and walk down about 1/8 a mile to the viewing platform.
Since Devil’s Bathtub was our main attraction, I wanted to see the falls for the sake of “checking off” another waterfall. We very much love waterfalls and this was pretty, but middle of the road as they go. The green forest surrounding the falls along with the cascading levels make this pretty. If this was the main attraction, I probably would’ve been way more dialed into it. But, the devil was calling!
Bridal Veil Falls
Bridal Veil Falls has a pull out right next to the main road running through the canyon. The lot was full, so we did a slow motion drive by. We were tired by now having swum with the devil in Hell’s Hole. And we were looking forward to some ice cream in Spearfish, so we failed to take a picture.
As memory serves, the falls were very tall and hugged the cliff face of the wall very tightly. The volume of water was noticeably less than Roughlock Falls. Next time we’re in the area, we’ll snap a quick selfie with Bridal Veil Falls. Until then picture a water fall coming down the side of a sheer rock face. There you nailed it!
Spearfish Falls
Dear reader, I failed you miserably on Spearfish Falls, I don’t think we even saw this waterfall. As Jimmy Buffett says, “don’t try to describe a Kiss concerted if you’ve never seen it…”, we’re out of luck on this one. Manana!
Besides the waterfall I failed to look at, what else to do in Spearfish Canyon?
Visitors can take a number of Hikes!
Okay, hiking isn’t the main draw of this recreation area. My quick review of AllTrails shows 3 trails in Spearfish Canyon.
- Devil’s Bathtub (see above)
- Spearfish Canyon Floor Nature Trail (0.6 miles)
- Iron Creek Trail (2.5 miles)
Of the 3, we only hiked Devil’s Bathtub. Spearfish Canyon seems to set up nicely for a drive through rather than a hiking adventure. The Black Hills offers tons of other hiking very close! Check out Custer State Park, Badlands, Wind Cave, or Jewel Cave for more hiking options.
What Animals Call Spearfish Canyon Home?
Beyond the run of the mill squires, birds, etc. visitors can spot Golden and Bald Eagles, Mountain Lions, Porcupine, Mountain Goats, and more. I suspect one needs both luck and patience to spot most of these animals particularly bald eagles and mountain lions. We did not have either of those elements (luck or patience).
We did see some mountain goats! Standing in the middle of the road (Highway 14A). Luckily traffic slowed and stopped for the safety of the animals and the people. Somewhere along the way we heard animals are making fewer treks to natural salt flats and instead finding salt in unusual places. I’m not certain if these goats were enjoying some tasty road salt or a few fries that were tossed out of a car window. Regardless, they weren’t concerned about our presence.
Where is Spearfish Canyon South Dakota?
Spearfish Canyon is located northwest of Lead, South Dakota and more or less south of Spearfish, South Dakota. Highway 14A cuts through the canyon. We drove from south to north in the canyon and the views were spectacular. Here are some approximate distances (mileage) from other places of interest
- Spearfish, SD – 10 miles
- Lead, SD – 20 miles
- Sturgis, SD – 30 miles
- Hill City, SD – 55 miles
- Mount Rushmore – 60 miles
- Devil’s Tower – 70 miles
- Badlands – 115 miles
We found the roads to be fine and well serviced. From Hill City, it was mainly two lane roads through the countryside. Coming through Lead, SD the 30 miles felt like an eternity. Maybe because of slow drivers? Maybe because of the excitement for Devil’s Bathtub?
Can I visit Devil’s Tower and Devil’s Bathtub on the same day?
Yes! You can definitely visit both Devil’s Tower and Devil’s Bathtub. Our visit to Devil’s Tower was a bit unplanned. While planning our Epic 2023 Western Trip, we discussed visiting Devil’s Tower. But, we recognized it was a long haul from Hill City (about 100 miles and 2 hours of time).
Our visit to the tower came about as we sat in Spearfish eating ice cream. Faced with hours of daylight left (it was about 2:30pm or so) and not much to do back in Hill City we decided to push forward to Devil’s Tower. Check out our post about DT here.
Check Out Devil’s Bathtub and Spearfish Canyon!
Your visit to the Black Hills should definitely include half a day or more checking out Spearfish Canyon! We really enjoyed our time in the canyon and would visit again just to slide down Devil’s Bathtub one more time!
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