devil's sinkhole state natural area

We visited Devil's Sinkhole for a special event they had in September. We parked our car in town and went on their bus to the sinkhole just before dusk. (I'm not sure if they still use the bus in their everyday operations, so you may have to drive yourself after registering at the visitor center in town.) I liked how they have a platform extending close to the edge of the sinkhole so you can see all the way down. There are also plenty of benches to sit on to relax and wait for the "bat tornado". The gentleman who gave the talk was very good and then, finally, the bats came swarming out. We saw an owl chow down on a bat too! All in all, pretty cool and worth the visit. Oh, take water!

I think it is a good stop! At least worth seeing it once! Had our school aged children/toddlers and they were able to enjoy it as well. **Note** Register for the tour at the Rocksprings Visitor Center (center of town) Then you drive to the cave. Had a nice very friendly lady giving the tour. She was very good and educated us on various things. You can hear the bats as they begin to make their way out of the cave and then, like a tornado, they come swirling up from underneath the viewing dock. It was neat to see the black swarm as they flew into the night sky.

Having a schedule limited to 3 days a week approximately is the worst I've ever seen. I understand this is located on private property but why advertise it at all if it's only available for a limited showings?

We called and made reservations and then planned to stay in Rocksprings for the night. We met at the center in the town square. It was $10 (senior rate) for the tour. We watched a film on the Devil's Sinkhole which took about 20 minutes. They no longer have a bus so we all got into our own cars and followed our leader (Kay - a lovely lady) out to the sinkhole. It took about 15 minutes to drive to the area. Kay opened the gate and we drove down a windy road. The sinkhole was cool. A large dark hole in the ground with a viewing platform to stand on that looked down into the hole. At dusk the bats started flying. We must have been there on a good night because the bats coming out of the hole seemed endless. Kay kept us entertained with information on the bats and on the area. We were not disappointed.

This was nice to go view. It is unfortunate that (for safety reasons) you have to be escorted onto the land and can only see from the viewing point. We had a great guide that let us stay for quite a while and answered all of our questions.

Great place to visit when you have time while passing through the area. Although a bit rushed to get there and back from the actual sink hole (no time to explore the surroundings), the trip is pleasant. The Bats are fantastic to see. You may also see owls and other wildlife like we did. It is handicap accessible and the road in and out is paved. There is a bathroom available on site. Benches to sit and watch are arranged in front of the hole itself with a platform to view down inside the sink hole. Take a camera or video with you. Fall maybe a lite sweater or jacket. Summer absolutely a hat or some sun shade and dress lightly. Take a bottle of water. DO NOT get to Rocksprings more than an hour before scheduled. Time is wasted since there is nothing to see or do in town.

I made reservations for the family on-line to go to Devil's Sinkhole the night that we rolled into Utopia. I didn't realize that from Utopia, it was 79 miles away. But we decided to go anyway because it was something different to see and we love nature related attractions. I had run directions to the place; however, the directions took me to Devil's Sinkhole which you cannot get into by yourself. I forgot to reread my email which had said to come to the Rocksprings town square. We were suppose to be there by 6:30 but didn't make it until 7:30 because of some construction and extra driving and not being able to find the town square right away since there were no signs, but we made it before the tour bus left. We were told we'd missed the film that gave the history and information about Devil's Sinkhole. It was $12 per person (adults/older child). We got on the tour bus and received a brief tour and history of Rocksprings then interesting information about the area as we made our way to Devil's Sinkhole. The park is quite interesting; the hole filled with bat guano. Apparently, there are three owls that have made their way into the hole. There were not as many bats that came out as in times past. According to the tour guide, the female bats did not bring their pups back to the Sinkhole because of those owls. However, we did see plenty of bats making their way out of the Sinkhole to take flight. As you stood on the overlook, they got quite close. After the tour, you were taken back to the tour center which is a gift shop and information center for the park.

This is a great experience for kids and adults. You meet at the bat store, ride the bat bus and get to smell the bats. A highlight for the kids was watching an owl hang around the cave and then get dinner when the bats were leaving.

Texas has its share of odd and unusual state parks, and the Devil's sinkhole is probably the strangest. Millions of bats call the sinkhole home, and they come out in an enormous swarm every evening. It's quite a sight to see.So let's talk about how to plan your trip to Devil's sinkhole. I'd suggest staying in Kerrville, which is about 60 miles east of Rocksprings. It has lots of dining, hotels, and attractions. Reserve one day to go west. Be sure to call the park ahead of time to find out the tour times and to reserve a spot.On the day you go, pack a picnic lunch and supper. (There are very few restaurants or grocery stores on this trip) Start out by visiting the Lost Maples State Natural area. It has great hiking and is a very attractive park. (There are faster routes, but I'd take Texas 27 to FM 1340 to Texas 39. This is a very pretty route to get to Lost Maples.)About 2 1/2 hours before tour time, proceed south out of Lost Maples to Texas FM 337. Take that west to Texas route 55. 337 is a beautiful drive and you'll want to stop and take in the view.Take 55 north to rock springs. The tour center is in the town square.Once you get on the tour, you'll board a bus which will take you about 10 miles out of town. You'll cross several ranches on a private road until you enter the park proper.The bus will stop at a very nice viewing area. There's an overlook so you can see down in to the sinkhole. There are benches set up so yo can view the flight of bats.This may not be for everyone, but it is one of those places that is unlike anywhere else.