Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area Adds 1,200 Acres, With Trails Planned

Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area in Edwards County is growing by 1,200 acres, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) plans to build about 10 miles of trails on the new land over the next few years. TPWD announced the acquisition on October 1, 2026, in a news release. With the addition, the natural area will cover more than 3,000 acres.

Nothing changes for visitors yet. Devil’s Sinkhole is still open only on guided tours, and TPWD says full plans for the new tract will come later.

Where the land is

The new acreage sits along the natural area’s western boundary, outside Rocksprings. TPWD places the site about an hour west of Kerrville and about 45 minutes south of Junction.

The land used to be part of the Whitworth Ranch. When the state created the natural area in 1985, the ranch was divided, and this purchase puts part of it back together. According to TPWD, the Whitworth Ranch was the first in the area to raise sheep. The agency says joining the two pieces will let it tell more of the land’s cultural history alongside its natural history.

What’s planned

TPWD described the expansion as a step toward making Devil’s Sinkhole a more typical state natural area rather than a tour-only site. The plans it has shared so far:

• Trails. Roughly 10 miles of trails over the next few years, aimed at birders and people who want a quiet walk.
• Stargazing. The extra protected land gives astronomers more room under the area’s dark skies.
• Longer-term ideas. A headquarters building, a maintenance area and some form of overnight stays are on the list, though TPWD calls these tentative.

TPWD has not given dates for any of this. KSAT reported that a timeline for the trails and possible overnight options will be announced later, and San Angelo LIVE noted that full plans for the tract are still to come.

How it was paid for

The purchase was funded by the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund and by the state’s sporting goods sales tax. In 2016, Texas voters dedicated 94% of the state sales tax collected on sporting goods to TPWD permanently. TPWD says that money has also paid for other land purchases, park facilities and improvements, and grants for community parks. The release didn’t name the seller or say what the land cost.

What it means if you want to visit now

For now, a visit to Devil’s Sinkhole works the way it always has. You can only go on a scheduled tour, and every tour starts at the Devil’s Sinkhole Visitor Center in Rocksprings, not at the sinkhole. Visitors aren’t allowed inside the cavern.

The main draw is the bat flight. The sinkhole is home to one of the largest colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats in Texas, and on warm nights about 3 million of them come out at dusk. The shaft is 50 feet wide and drops 140 feet into a cavern more than 320 feet across and 350 feet deep. It’s a National Natural Landmark.

Timing matters this month. Evening bat flight tours run Wednesday through Sunday from May 1 through October 31, and the bats spend the winter in Mexico. That leaves about two weeks in the 2026 season. Tours go to a wheelchair-accessible platform over the sinkhole, and the bats are wild, so an emergence isn’t guaranteed. Tour fees are $14 for adults, $11 for seniors 65 and older, $6 for kids 4 to 12, and free for kids under 4.

To book, call the Devil’s Sinkhole Society at 830-683-2287, Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The site is about 135 miles from San Antonio, roughly two and a half hours by car.

Nearby parks you can visit now

Devil’s Sinkhole is remote, so if you’re making the drive, these state parks in the same part of Texas are worth adding:

• South Llano River State Park, near Junction, sits on a spring-fed river with two miles of frontage for swimming, tubing and paddling, plus 22.7 miles of trails. It’s an International Dark Sky Park. From October through March, its day-use area is open only from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to protect roosting turkeys.
• Kickapoo Cavern State Park, about 22 miles north of Brackettville, has 20 known caves. Thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats live in its Stuart Bat Cave from mid-March to the end of October, and guided tours of Kickapoo Cavern run Saturdays at 1 p.m. with reservations. The park is closed Tuesday through Thursday.
• Devils River State Natural Area protects a remote spring-fed river that TPWD counts among the most pristine in Texas, with more than 25 miles of trails across two units. Reservations are required, and you need to bring everything with you, including water.

Current tour details are on the TPWD Devil’s Sinkhole page.