DEVIL'S SINKHOLE Look at natural wonders large and small

BELOW THE SURFACE

More than meets the eye at Devil’s Sinkhole, Texas Miniature exhibit

By Ariel Lutnesky

It was when Ammon Billings was out chasing his hogs that he discovered the Devil’s Sinkhole in 1876, said Andrew Barnebey.

“He had no idea it was there and he was very impressed,” said Barnebey, the president of the Devil’s Sinkhole Society that oversees the Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area. “He found his wife and said, ‘I’ve seen the gateway to hell.’ She said, ‘You can’t call it that. Let’s call it the Devil’s Sinkhole.’” The Devil’s Sinkhole is Texas’ fourth largest Mexican free-tailed bat colony, which can amount to 3 million bats on warm nights, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. This makes bats one of the area’s main attractions.

“They rise every evening around dusk in a tornado and then drive across the sky in this huge river,” Barnebey said. “It is just jaw-dropping to see this.”

Millions of years ago, the area was covered in water, Barnebey said. Receding water caused a cave to be carved into the limestone. Erosion caused the roof to fall in.

The entrance is about 65 feet wide and the cavern is at least 350 feet deep. At the widest point, it could fit more than three football fields, according to TPW.

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the area becoming a National Natural Landmark. Texas purchased

it in 1985 from Clarence Whitworth; before then, the property was a ranch, Barnebey said.

He added that prior to being a ranch, part of the property was a campsite for Native American people, including the Lipan Apache and Comanche peoples. Besides watching bats, activities include nature walks, bird tours and motorcycle rides.

Visitors are only allowed to access the property by guided tour because it is home to four different endangered species, including one that is found nowhere else — the Devil’s Sinkhole amphipod.

To make a reservation for a guided tour or for more information, call 830-683-2287. Other areas to visit around Rocksprings include:

Texas Miniature Museum Dollhouses and tiny furniture from 1900 through 2000 are on display at the Texas Miniature Museum, right across the street from the Historic Rocksprings Hotel. Every decade is represented.

While entrance is free, it is only available by appointment with

Debra Wolcott by calling 713-515-2780. Mitchell Arrowhead Museum Weapons and tools from thousands of years ago are on display inside the Rocksprings Home & Supply store, 301 W. Main St. Some say the Mitchell arrowhead collection has Smithsonian-quality points. See the collection for free.

Contributed photos by Debra Wolcott Scenes inside the Texas Miniature Museum range from mouthwatering banquet spreads and cozy bedrooms to more elaborate holiday displays. Visitors are welcome to explore for free but must make an appointment first.

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