Located over on the Southwestern tip of Virginia is a viral internet watering hole called the Devil’s Bathtub. A natural-made bathtub perfect to cool off during the brutal mid-Atlantic summer.
Disclaimer: This trail is super crowded on weekends and has become a popular spot for people to trash. Please expect crowds and please clean up after yourself. Even better, clean up after the Walmart hikers. The swimming hole is great but has gotten completely overrated the past few years.
Devil’s Bathtub in Virginia Trail Details
The trail to Devil’s Bathtub in southwestern Virginia is an out and back trail just under four miles total. There is also an option to do a full Devil’s Bathtub loop which is 7+ miles if you want more of an adventure.
Parking near Devil’s Bathtub
On weekends this place becomes a madhouse and the trailhead will be back by 9 am. The trailhead I personally think requires a sedan with very high clearance. I saw a small car scrap their oil pan on the way out and dumped oil everywhere. Without a high clearance 4×4 or AWD drive, park on the bottom of the dirt road.
They recently built a parking lot about a mile from the trailhead that you can’t miss while going in. This will be the most accessible parking but you can continue to the trailhead if you please. The road will turn into a gravel road though and can get a bit rough about .5 miles from the trailhead. A lot of people don’t realize you can still drive a mile up and park. JUST DON’T PARK IN SOMEONE’S YARD.
Hiking to Devil’s Bathtub
While the trail is marked difficult online, most people will say it’s borderline moderate mostly due to a few river crossings. The fluctuation of the amount of water during the creeks’ crossings will change how you rate the hike. It was closer to my knees when I was hiking into the bathtub but during the end of summer, people report the water being extremely low. This place is popular for all ages, so I find the All Trails rating a bit off personally. Be prepared for lots of people, lots of kids, and a beautiful swimming hole.
