Devil’s Bathtub - Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota
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Spearfish Canyon Trailheads - Location and Logistics
I’ve been to the Black Hills several times, but hadn’t journeyed to Spearfish Canyon until October 2023, even though I’d had it on my list of places to explore for several years. Spearfish Canyon simply isn’t near any of the other main tourist attractions in the Black Hills. It’s an hour drive from Rapid City, 90 minutes from Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park, 90 minutes in a different direction to Jewel Cave, etc. That means a trip out to Spearfish Canyon is going to take most of the day for anyone traveling from the east. I-90 does go past Spearfish (west of Rapid City), however. Anyone traveling from the west, or anyone traveling from the Black Hills to Devil’s Tower National Monument has an easy option to tack on a short spur to Spearfish Canyon without adding many extra miles.
The best thing about Spearfish Canyon is that there are several trails within just a few miles of each other. There are no fees to park or visit any of the trails. To access Spearfish Canyon, exit I-90 in Spearfish and take E. Colorado Blvd to US Highway 14A / Spearfish Canyon Byway. All trailheads are along Spearfish Canyon Byway, with the exception of Roughlock Falls, which requires a short drive along Roughlock Falls Road.
Food and bathrooms are available in Spearfish, before entering Spearfish Canyon Byway, and at Spearfish Falls, near Spearfish Canyon Lodge.
My favorite trail in the canyon is Devil’s Bathtub, and I would recommend also hiking the short trails to Spearfish Falls and Roughlock Falls. Bridal Veil Falls is visible directly from the road, and is worth the quick stop. For those with more time and anyone looking for a good adventure with a tough rock scramble, add in Community Cave. I’ve also read about Eleventh Hour Gulch, which supposedly also has a trailhead along the Spearfish Canyon Byway, but we were not able to find it.
Hikes Along Spearfish Canyon
Below is the map I will use to organize the remainder of this post. I use colors for easy reference, to explain where things are at, but these colors will not mean anything to you once you are hiking in Spearfish Canyon. Within the captions below the map, there are hyperlinks. Click on the trail name, and the link will bring you to that section within this post, which will have pictures, a more detailed map, and a description of the trail. There will be a link back to this map at the end of each trail description.
Community Cave (blue) - A short scramble up into the bluffs to find some small caves and a waterfall (if there has been recent rain)
Bridal Veil Falls (yellow) - More of a viewpoint across the road than an actual walk.
Devil’s Bathtub (purple) - Easy hike along the edge of Spearfish Creek. There are a few water crossings with rocks and logs to hop over, and there is a place to swim and slide down rocks at the end.
Spearfish Falls (red) - This is an easy trail down to the largest waterfall in the canyon. Most of the trail is a boardwalk with a small gain in elevation on the way back.
Roughlock Falls (orange) - There are two hiking options to Roughlock Falls. The shorter hike is easy along a boardwalk. The longer trail is mostly a hard dirt surface has a small gain in elevation.
Community Cave
Distance / Elevation Gain - 0.6 miles (out-and-back trail) / 325ft - This is a short hike, but the rock scramble at the end makes this a moderately difficult trail, especially on the way back down.
Trailhead Location - Approximately 2.5 miles down US Highway 14A / Spearfish Canyon Byway
Community Cave Trail Map - Spearfish, South Dakota (parking is marked with a black star)
The trailhead for Community Cave is not marked, and this was the hardest trail along Spearfish Canyon for us to follow. Usually I recommend using the GAIA app for hiking, but this trail wasn’t included. We realized we had wandered upstream too far and had missed the turn to climb into the bluffs. We had cell service and ended up logging into AllTrails which had a map that worked well for us to retrace our steps and find the turn that we had missed.
Spearfish Creek - hiking on a beautiful morning in mid-October
From the small parking area, cross the street (get to the same side of the road as Spearfish Creek). Walk just a short distance in the ditch (going north) and a small foot trail to the creek will become visible. It will be just a short distance along the creek. After crossing the creek, look to the right to climb up into the bluffs.
“Bridge” crossing over Spearfish Creek
There are no formal bridges across Spearfish Creek, but there are several crossing options (large rocks, logs, and wood planks) to keep feet dry. In the spring, this may be a harder creek to cross than it was in the drier late fall. There are multiple trails along the creek and those trails snake back and forth across Spearfish Creek. This is how we got lost. To get to Community Cave, cross the first “bridge” and head uphill to the trail. The trail may be a little hard to see due to rocks. Look beyond the rocks to find it.
Another picture of Spearfish Creek just after we crossed it
As the trail winds into the woods and makes its way up into the bluffs, it generally follows larger rocks. And then it’s a straight scramble up the rocks to get up into the caves. This is not an easy trail, and going back down was a bit precarious.
Hiking up to Community Cave
There was just a little trickle of water coming down over the caves that my youngest thought was fun to play in. I would imagine this is a pretty waterfall with some snow melt or a recent rain.
Community Cave and waterfall - Spearfish, South Dakota
Slightly better view of the waterfall
These caves are all small, but we all enjoyed exploring the nooks and crannies in the rocks.
Community Cave - Spearfish, South Dakota
One of the cooler structures within the cave walls
Backside of the waterfall - Community Cave
Entrance to one of the larger nooks to explore
So… Remember what I said about going down? This was the hardest part of the trail. No formal switchbacks, and not many trees to hold along the way. We are hunched over because the safest way to get down was to hold onto the larger rocks.
Trying not to fall as we made our way back down the trail from Community Cave
One more picture of Spearfish Creek on our way back across. It was such a pretty day here.
Bridal Veil Falls
Distance / Elevation Gain - N/A - Bridal Veil Falls can be seen from the road. It’s just a short walk across down and across the road. There is a small area to explore for better angles of the waterfall, but no trail up to the falls.
Trailhead Location - Approximately 6 miles down US Highway 14A / Spearfish Canyon Byway
Bridal Veil Falls Map - Spearfish, South Dakota (parking is marked with a black star)
There is a decently large pullout for parking at Bridal Veil Falls, and this pullout is more obvious than Community Cave. The falls viewing area is a few steps across and up the road. Due to the canyon walls and angle of the sun, the waterfall is going to be in the shade most of the day. At 11:30am, the falls were completely in the shade. We stopped again on our way back out of Spearfish Canyon at 3:30, and the top part of it was more visible in the sun.
This is Bridal Veil Falls at 11:30am, and most of it was in the shade.
Bridal Veil Falls at 3:30pm
Mountain goat chillin’ on the road near Bridal Veil Falls
Devil’s Bathtub
Distance / Elevation Gain - 1.75 miles (out-and-back trail) / 150ft - This is an easy hike along the edge of a creek. There are a few water crossings with rocks and logs to hop across. At the end there is a place to swim and rocks to slide down into the deeper pool.
Trailhead Location - Approximately 8 miles down US Highway 14A / Spearfish Canyon Byway
Devil’s Bathtub Map - Spearfish, South Dakota (parking is marked with a black star)
Devil’s Bathtub is my favorite trail along Spearfish Canyon. The trail is short, easy, and fun due to the slight rock hopping needed for creek crossings. Out of the five of us, only my youngest fell in at one of the crossings. He doesn’t always try very hard to stay dry, so the “fall” may have been more an excuse to get wet versus a misstep.
There is a large parking lot for Devil’s Bathtub, and the trail was pretty busy for a weekend in the middle of October. Somehow, when we were at the end of the trail at the “bathtub” though, we had it all to ourselves while we enjoyed a quiet picnic.
One important thing to note for anyone traveling with younger kids - there are no bathrooms at this trailhead. If you are in need of a bathroom, keep heading down US Highway 14A to the Spearfish Falls (approximately 5 more miles).
Small waterfall along Spearfish Canyon at the beginning of the Devil’s Bathtub trail
The trail starts along Spearfish Creek and then turns to the right for a short distance along a private road. Then the trail takes off again along Squaw Creek.
One of several crossings back an forth along Squaw Creek
Another example of the creek crossing “bridges”
We had a whole day to explore Spearfish Canyon, so we took our time on each hike. The kids enjoyed wondering upstream at points to flip over rocks and see what they could find in the creek.
Playing in the creek
Eventually the trail stops crossing back and forth and the canyon walls come closer together. At this point in the hike, the trail follows along Squaw Creek’s rocky bank.
One of the last creek crossings
This portion of the trail follows along the rocky bank ledge
There are several small cascades along Squaw Creek.
Playing again along the water’s edge
The waterfall marks the end of the trail. It is possible to go a short distance further before the water rises over the rocky bank.
Devil’s Bathtub is marked by the waterfall
There is a deep enough pool to slide down the rocks in the waterfall and swim in the water below. We did not, as it was October, and “warm” was not near hot enough to want to get into that cold water.
In general, this trail reminded me a lot of Slide Rock State Park in Sedona, Arizona, which has a similar trail where hikers can slide down waterfalls into swimable holes.
Devil’s Bathtub - Spearfish Canyon
Although we didn’t swim, it looked fun
Hiking back out along the canyon
One last picture of the canyon
Spearfish Falls & Roughlock Falls
Trailhead Location - Approximately 13 miles down US Highway 14A / Spearfish Canyon Byway. There is one primary parking location for Spearfish Falls that can also be used as a trailhead for a longer hike to Roughlock Falls. There are two closer parking options for Roughlock Falls (marked with black stars in the map below).
Map of Roughlock and Spearfish Falls. Trail to Spearfish Falls is in red. Roughlock Falls Trail is in dark green. A longer hiking option to Roughlock Falls is in orange. Parking is marked with black stars
Spearfish Falls
Distance / Elevation Gain - 0.8 miles (out-and-back trail) / 80ft - The trail down to Spearfish Falls is an easy, quick walk with no obstacles. Much of the trail surface is covered in boardwalks.
Spearfish Falls Map - Spearfish, South Dakota (parking is marked with a black star)
The namesake falls, Spearfish Falls, is the most impressive waterfall along Spearfish Canyon Byway. Parking for the trailhead is next to the Spearfish Canyon Lodge. There is an observation point above the falls, just to the right of the building, but the view isn’t that great, and it’s difficult to see the falls. There is a paved path to follow to get there, visible in the photo below. I didn’t take a picture from the observation point as there just wasn’t much to see. To get to the trail that goes to the bottom of the falls, cross back in front of the building. The trail will be on the other side, well marked with a boardwalk.
Spearfish Canyon Lodge / Restaurant - This parking lot can be used for the falls. The observation point above the falls is to the right, and access to the trail going to the bottom of the falls is on the left of the building.
The trail to the bottom of Spearfish Falls is easy to find and it’s marked with accessible boardwalks. The only thing I found confusing was a sign at the beginning, stating that it was 1.5 miles round trip to Spearfish Falls. The sign is wrong. It’s 0.4 miles to the falls (and 0.4 miles back).
Trailhead to Spearfish Falls
Hiking is just as much about the journey along the way as it is about reaching the destination. While I loved almost every inch of the Devil’s Bathtub trail, there isn’t that much beauty along the trail to Spearfish Falls. Due to the short distance and minimal time investment needed to reach Spearfish Falls, I’d still recommend stopping. The waterfall is quite pretty.
Hiking to Spearfish Falls
Spearfish Falls in October
The trail ends in front of the falls, with a large viewing platform. While we were taking pictures of Spearfish Falls, my youngest son steals my phone and takes the above waterfall picture. I had no idea an iPhone could do this… If you haven’t had someone yet show you this trick, turn “live” on your camera (upper right button). Take a picture of the waterfall. Open the photo up, and on the upper left, click where it says “live.” Change it to “Long Exposure.” Voila! Amazing waterfall picture.
Family picture in front of Spearfish Falls
Roughlock Falls
Distance / Elevation Gain - Shorter hiking trail is 0.5 miles (green) with no change in elevation. Longer hiking option is 1.8 miles (orange) / 120 ft.
Hiking Trails to Roughlock Falls
We were a bit confused when we reached Roughlock Falls, and were not aware that there were multiple trailhead options to get to Roughlock Falls. We saw the trailhead sign for Roughlock Falls at the bottom of the hill, so that’s where we parked, and we took the longer trail up (orange).
There is a dirt road that keeps going up to the falls (Roughlock Falls Road). There are nearby ATV rentals, and due to the signs along the road, we thought the dirt road was only to be used by ATVs, which is not true. There is nothing special worth seeing with the longer hiking option, in fact we chose to just walk along the road on the way back. Ignore the signs, drive up Roughlock Falls Road to one of the closer parking options, and save 1.3 miles of walking.
This is the trailhead for anyone hiking the longer trail option from the bottom (this is marked in orange on my map)
As I mentioned above, there isn’t anything magical to this part of the trail. I would recommend skipping it when there are so many better places to hike in the Black Hills and vacation time is limited. Take the dirt road (Roughlock Falls Road) and park at one of the closer lots to see Roughlock Falls in just a 0.5 mile walk.
Longer trail leading up to Roughlock Falls
Here is the closer look of the trail at Roughlock Falls. There are two different sections of the waterfall, and several different angles to view them from, all of which are worth exploring. The entire green trail (out and back and along all of the spurs) is 0.5 miles. Boardwalks connect the various viewing platforms, and there is minimal change in elevation, making this an easy hike.
Zoomed in map of Roughlock Falls
From below (right-most section of the trail marked in green), both sections of Roughlock Falls can be viewed. There are some pretty cascading sections of water up front, and a larger waterfall in the back.
I’ll be honest, when I was looking at pictures of Roughlock Falls online, I imagined these falls were quite a bit bigger, and I was a little disappointed as a result. The way the water flows over the mossy rocks though is quite beautiful, and I would recommend stopping to see these falls for anyone already in Spearfish Canyon. I think it’s important though to have the right information (images included) when planning out a vacation and choosing what to do, as there is never enough time to stop and do everything.
Roughlock Falls
Another family picture
The best part of Roughlock Falls is just across from the main waterfall along another viewing platform.
I love the moss growing over the rocks just as much as the waterfall itself. It’s amazing to me how plants are able to grow directly on a rock…
Roughlock Falls
The whole design of the boardwalk trail around Roughlock Falls is quite ingenious. This view is from the top of the falls.
Looking down Roughlock Falls
Looking across the creek to show the viewing platform that looks directly at Roughlock Falls
The boardwalk follows the creek and at points crosses over it as well to enable hikers to see the waterfall from all of the various angles.
Boardwalk trail to Roughlock Falls
Section of the trail to Roughlock Falls that crosses the creek
As I mentioned at the beginning, we parked at the bottom and had taken the longer hiking option without realizing there was additional parking available closer to the falls. We chose to take the dirt road (Roughlock Falls Road) back to the car.
Roughlock Falls Road
Other Nearby Things To Do
On a trip out to the Black Hills, here are other things to do nearby:
Hike at Sylvan Lake
Visit Mount Rushmore
Swim at Hippie Hole
Tour Jewel Cave National Monument
Tour Wind Cave National Park
Hike Around Devils Tower National Monument
Explore Badlands National Park
Visit Minute Missile National Historic Site
More from NatureImpactsUs.com
To see additional hikes I’ve written about around the country, click on a pin, and then click on the hyperlink. Use two fingers to zoom in and move around within the map.