Devils River State Natural Area Del Norte Unit

Want to get away from it all? Make sure you have a rig that can handle rough dirt and rocky roads, make sure your camper can do the same, or bring a tent, and you’re good to go. The campsites are so spread out, you can run a generator all night if you wanted to, and not a soul except the coyotes would hear it. It’s peaceful, dusty, and beautiful all at the same time. Not many hiking trails, but the ones there are awesome. The river and Finegan Springs are AMAZING. The restrooms are the cleanest around, the showers are hot, but they are a LONG drive from the sites and on pretty rocky roads. Not easy. The sites are fantastic. We stayed in site 6, which has a beautiful canyon view. We loved the peace and quiet and the sunsets. No cell service AT ALL. Wi-Fi is spotty at the restrooms/ campground entrance, but you won’t get it at the sites. Make sure you have the water you need for the weekend and a porta potty. Limited availability so book early. That’s what makes this park an awesome experience.

First, this park is normally only open weekends and is closed some months so check before going. You must book and pay in advance on line as they take no money at this park, there is no store, nothing to buy. This park is VERY remote, a 22 mile dirt road is required to get to the park and it takes about 90 minutes to traverse that road. There are about 7 campsites for tents only, no water, no electricity, no hookups, and the only bathroom is maybe 5 miles away. There is no service is most of the park ( WiFi at park ranger office and service on top on the peak). To get to the river you must cross 3 streams, some 11 inches deep or so, very rocky, many cars cannot make this crossing, but you can cross it on foot. We have a 4 wheel drive truck and had no problem. If you are still interested, the park is amazing, the river is so serene, several waterfalls, beautiful trees, wildlife and some trails. We went in November, 2018 and the weather was perfect. We hiked all the trails, including the 12 mile loop which was challenging including crossing the water. We had a great opportunity to take a tour of the rock art and were so glad we did, Nora was a great tour guide, plus this was free!

Devils River SNA is one of my most favorite parks in the Texas Parks system. I've been here only twice but both times this park was amazing.

Things you should know before you go:

*Cell service with ATT is non-existent (Not reliable at all. I had one bar along the river in certain areas and the rest of the time no bars)

*All of the campsites are offgrid, no electric, no water, no shade. Just a picnic table. Bring a canopy or umbrella because it can get very hot in the summer. There are no trees near the campsites as this is a borderline desert ecosystem.

*The river is the main attraction. It is pristine, clear, see-through untouched river system. Alligator gar and other fish are visible from the river side. Water can be deep in some areas so swim with caution. The river also flows at elevated speed in some areas so be careful. Generally you are fine swimming in the summer though. The water is cold.

*The river is day-use only. You cant camp alongside it, which sucks but it's meant this way to protect the river. Some people are dumb and litter or pollute.. they ruin it for the rest of us.

*The park is about 1hr off a highway, back on gravel and dirt roads. A 4x4 vehicle is recommended but not necessary. First time I went I had a 2x4 ford explorer and it was fine.. however there are certain mud holes along the way to the park, so be aware of that. The roads to the park are rough, cant drive faster than 20mph, which is why it takes 1hr to get to there.

*Top off your gas tank before you go to the park... there is no gas station within 1.5hrs or so of the park itself. Bring extra gas with you if you can. Again, cell service is almost non-existent around the park area... traffic is light, so you will be in a pickle if you run out of gas.

*There are only a handful of campsites, so reserve ahead.

*There is no vehicle access to the river. You basically drive from the campsite to a parking lot and then hike to the river about 1.5miles up two steep inclines and then down a hill to the river. Carrying a cooler sucked. Along with fishing gear and chairs. We brought a wagon the 2nd time we went.

*There is no ADA access to the river. No vehicle access, period.

*Ground fires not permitted. There is no water.

*There is one set of bathrooms are the park office - they are far from the campsites, so you'll need to drive to it if you need to use it.

*No electricity in the park whatsoever. Bring a battery for your electronics.

*Watch the weather... the river swells when it pours or storms. You dont want to be around it when that happens. The campsites are safe though... there is a creek between the campsites and park exit.. so if it does storm bad, you could be trapped. Defintely monitor weather and leave the park if it gets questionable.

*Again, there is no electricity in the park. It is pitch black when night falls. Have plenty of flashlights, batteries. It is pitch black out there.

*Stargazing is great and worth the drive to the park. Enjoy it.

Overall, this park is awesome. I'm glad it isn't popular. This being said, if you have time, visit this park. You will not regret it. Will add pics later.