Watch 3 Million Bats Emerge From The Devil’s Sinkhole, A Little-Known Cave In Texas
When you think of bat caves in Texas, the Congress Avenue Bridge and Bracken Bat Cave probably come to mind first. There’s another place in the Hill Country, however, with a bat colony that’s over 3 million strong. Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area is a little-known park with one of the largest bat colonies in Texas. You can watch them emerge from a 350-foot-deep cavern!
With a name like "Devil's Sinkhole," this is one Texas park you'd probably want to steer clear from - but that would be a mistake.
A little-known natural area located about 130 miles northwest of San Antonio, Devil's Sinkhole is home to one of Texas’ largest colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats.
While visitors cannot enter the cavern - the person in this photo is a cave researcher - guided bat tours are offered during roosting season, which is late spring through early fall.
Every night, the bats emerge from the cave in search of food - and boy, do they feast! Scientists estimated the colony as a whole consumes 30 tons of beetles and moths daily.
Wheelchair-accessible, the tour allows guests to peer into the sinkhole and watch as the bats fly out and blanket the sky in a swirling sea of blackness.
The tour fee is $14 for adults, $6 for children ages 4-12, and $11 for seniors 65 and up. Children under four are free. Morning tours are also offered on select days.
Have you ever been to the Devil’s Sinkhole? If so, we’d love to hear all about your experience! Tell us in the comments. Interested in more bat caves in Texas? Check out our previous article to learn about another.
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing.
Today, Katie writes for the Texas and Arizona pages of OnlyInYourState.com and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of coffee, watching a crime TV show or scary movie.
