Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area is a natural bat habitat near the city of
Rocksprings in
Edwards County in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. Carved by water erosion, the cavern is home to several million
Mexican free-tailed bat
The Mexican free-tailed bat or Brazilian free-tailed bat (''Tadarida brasiliensis'') is a medium-sized bat native to North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean, so named because its tail can be almost half its total length and is not a ...
s that emerge at sunset during April through October.
History
The Devil's Sinkhole is a vertical natural bat habitat. The opening drops down to reveal a cavern some below.
While likely known to native peoples, the cavern was first discovered in modern times by Ammon Billings, a local rancher leading a scouting party of five, west of Hackberry Creek in Edwards County in 1876. Billings fired at a marauding party of hostile Indians and believed he hit one. Fearing a trap, they did not pursue the Indians but returned to the area the following day, May 21, 1876 with their spouses. It was then that the sinkhole was first encountered by Ammon Billings. Billings wife, Lucinde Katherine Billings (née Stroop) and other wives in the returning party dubbed the sinkhole "The Devil's Sinkhole".
H. S. Barber carved his name inside the cave in 1889. In 1968, the Devil's Sinkhole was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.
The area was transferred to the state of Texas in 1985, and opened to the public in 1992.
Facilities, admission
Access to the area is available only through advance reservations. Evening bat flight tours are offered in summer only. Guided nature hikes are also available.
Facilities include a wheelchair-accessible viewing platform and picnic areas.
With reservations, tours are conducted by the Devil's Sinkhole Society, a local volunteer group that works in conjunction of
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitat (ecology), habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state park, state's parks and historical ar ...
and
Bat Conservation International to facilitate visitor education and tours.
See also
*
List of museums in Central Texas
*
List of sinkholes of the United States
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Edwards County, Texas
References
External links
Bat Conservation InternationalTPWD Devil's Sinkhole official siteTexas Power Coop - To the Bat Cave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devil's Sinkhole
Bat conservation
Protected areas of Edwards County, Texas
State parks of Texas
Sinkholes of the United States
Landforms of Edwards County, Texas
National Natural Landmarks in Texas
Protected areas established in 1985
1985 establishments in Texas