Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area
c/o Devil's Sinkhole Society
830/683-BATS(2287)
or
Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area
PO Box 678
Rocksprings TX 78880
830/683-3762
History: The Sinkhole, discovered by Anglo settlers in 1867, is a registered National Natural Landmark.
Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area, formerly part of the Whitworth Ranch, is a 1859.7-acre area located approximately six miles northeast of Rocksprings in Edwards County. It was acquired in 1985 and was opened to limited access in 1992. The Sinkhole property does not front a public roadway.
Activities: The main attraction is the Devil's Sinkhole itself. It is a vertical cavern with an opening measuring approximately 40x60 feet and a vertical drop to the main cavern of about 140 feet. The main cavern is circular and reaches a total depth of 350-400 feet.
Tours: Access to the park can be obtained only by contacting Devil's Sinkhole Society 830-683-BATS (2287) to prearrange a tour. Tours are by reservation only.
Check the Calendar for scheduled tours & other events.
Area Attractions: Nearby attractions include Kickapoo Cavern S.P., South Llano River S.P., Garner S.P.,Lost Maples S.N.A., Devil's River S.N.A., Hill Country S.N.A., Seminole Canyon S.P. & H.S., and Kerrville-Schreiner Park.
Facilities: Minimal development was completed in September 1996 including picnic sites, a chemical toilet, and some trail development. A new wheelchair accessible viewing platform is now available and allows visitors to look into the Sinkhole.
Flora/Fauna: Since the depth of the cave reaches below the water table, there are freshwater lakes around its perimeter. These lakes support two unique organisms; one, an endemic amphipod, and the other, a rare aquatic isopod. Both these organisms are crustaceans. Also, the walls of the vertical shaft of the cave support a Mexican fern species found in few other locations in the United States.
The most obvious life form found in the Sinkhole is the large seasonal population of Brazilian freetail bats. These small, flying mammals put on quite a show in the evenings when they leave the cave to forage. A population of from three to four thousand cave swallows inhabit the cave at night while the bats are gone.
More information on the wildlife mentioned here:
The remainder of the park property is typical of the Edwards Plateau. There are rather deeply cut canyons on the southern end of the site. These canyons provide a more mesic environment and, therefore, support trees such as escarpment black cherry, Buckley oak, Lacey oak, and pinyon pine. Plateau liveoak is the dominant tree species on the uplands. A large population of the endangered Tobusch fishhook cactus also occurs on the park site.
Elevation: 2450 ft.
Weather: January average minimum 35;
July average maximum 95; average annual rainfall 23.6.
Schedule: Access only with special, pre-scheduled tours.
Directions: To reach the park, travel on State Highway 55 to Rocksprings and go north 6 miles on US Highway 377. Devil's Sinkhole Visitors Center is in Rocksprings at 101 N Sweeten St. All tours meet at the visitors center.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744