What a great family hike! Toddlers? No problem. Babies? No problem. Drive as far up the road as you can go and park at either the upper or lower parking lot. We went in late July and were so enthralled with the scenery the whole way to the spring. It is vastly green, with plenty of wildflowers along the trail. Stop and see some raspberries, and even some wildlife hanging out in the water (there was a mama and baby moose there along our hike!)
The River coming down from the spring is absolutely gorgeous, but of course, fast and freezing, so even though it goes without saying, don't let your little ones get too close. Although there are plenty of spots for adults to stop and dip in their toes or hands for a quick cool off.
Once you walk to the top of the trail and the base of the spring, (about a mile walk) the hike gets much steeper and more difficult. I actually didn't know we were going on this hike so I wore sandals up the trail with no problem, but I wouldn't recommend it for hiking to the top, there are steep rocks and slippery slopes of dirt that require shoes with good traction.
The top of the spring is such a delight! With a fantastic view cascading down the mountain, you can see the intermittent spring turning on and off every 12-18 minutes. It honestly feel like magic! Once we got to the top of the spring I felt like my kids were safe there. We all had a great time playing on the rocks and filling our water bottles with cool fresh spring water!
Right before the steep trail at the top are picnic tables for those travelers wanting to take it easy. There are also some picnic tables at the parking lots.
I would absolutely recommend this hike in star valley with or without kids, for older people, or even those who want to take it easy with a little extra exercise. July was around 80° and not too hot. I'm sure it'd be a great one to hike in the fall as well! read more