Devil's River Trip Report

by Anne and John Olden

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The Devil's River is one of the places you read and hear about, but a trip which we believed - and still do - that should be done the first time with someone who's been there. This applies not only to the river trip but to arrangements for the shuttles. Over the Memorial Day weekend, Sandy and Jeannette Truxillo, of Explorer Pack and Paddle, led a trip to Devil's River State Natural Area (SNA). They have made this trip a number of times, so we were in good hands.

Seven people caravaned from Houston to Del Rio on Friday. Stopping at Sammy's in Castroville for lunch, we met our three additional trip members. The group visited the 100 year old Val Verde Winery in Del Rio for a brief tour and tasting. Then parking on the US side, we walk to Ciudad Acuna over a flowing Rio Grande, and supper at Crosby's. This restaurant looks really elegant inside, but accepts very casually dressed tourists. Cash only, please, and be sure to bring your driver's license for crossing back into the US.

An hour's drive brought us to turnoff at Dolan Creek Road. The 22 mile dirt road into the SNA was dusty but well graded. We spotted quail and deer in the dusk. Sandy had reserved the bunkhouse (five bedrooms and three full bathrooms) for the group, along with the nearby dining hall. Some of us decided sleeping outside in the cool breeze was better than being indoors.

Saturday morning one of the SNA rangers took us to two of the many rock overhangs in this area. The first has red pictographs of the shaman figures like those seen along the Pecos; the walls of the second clearly show evidence of fires and a deep layer of charcoal dust. Our guide's great grandfather homesteaded this land beginning in the 1860's, eventually acquiring over 60,000 acres on which he raised sheep. It is unimaginable how people survived in this dry, hot climate when supplies (or help) were days away over the rocky, cactus-strewn low mountains. The river must have been the reason they could stay.

About two years ago the family sold 27,000 acres to the state to prevent its being divided and developed. The Nature Conservancy owns land on the west bank of the river. I hope these two properties remain as wild as they are now.

Saturday afternoon we drove toward the river, then hiked the last two miles (accessible by vehicle only with ranger permission). It's difficult to believe beautiful rivers exist as you drive through the mesquite and catsclaw southwest of San Antonio, but there are several, including the Frio and Nueces. Unlike those two, which are often dry, the lower section of the Devil's is unique because it isn't rain dependent. Springs feed this section, assuring adequate flow. The section above the SNA is often too low to paddle.

At the river we turned upstream and were met with an amazing sight - an oasis of cold springs and lush greenery, from grasses to trees. The river was very refreshing on this hot day, feeling noticeably cooler where the springs flow into it. We walked a ways along the base of the mountain, crossing more springs flowing into the river, taking a second dip before we headed back.

Wind is common here, and often welcome, because it provides some relief from the heat, but it can make paddling difficult. All of us were paddling tandem in case of wind, but Sunday turned out to be perfect - warm, with just a slight breeze. From the put-in, a short paddle through reeds brought us to small rapids. Why was Sandy getting out to walk? They looked runnable. Here's where his experience saved us. The horizon line was not obvious, and we'd quickly reached the unrunnable Dolan Falls, where we portaged left. Looking back up at the Falls, you can see that they are two small, deep U's, which would grab boats and pitch paddlers onto rocks. Beautiful but dangerous.

The river varies from narrow to wide, with the occasional short trip through reeds, a fun challenge to find the way to open water. There are also a few rapids, some of which aren't easy to spot, another reason to have a guide. Just below Three Tier Rapid is a large rock shelf that is perfect for lunch and swimming. Several people also lined their boats half-way back up and re-ran the three tiers.

Arriving too soon at the takeout, we prepared our gear and boats for the shuttle. The takeout is on private property; the shuttle must be arranged in advance with the man who handles this service. It's a long and rocky ride to the highway, not one to be made with your own vehicle even if you had access. We snoozed to Loma Alta, a small store and gas station, where people piled out, ready for chips, beer and ice cream. Back at the SNA we enjoyed another good meal and thought about our day on the river.

Even for non-paddlers, this is a relaxing place: cell phones don't work here. There are birds galore - we spotted turkeys, a roadrunner coming for a drink in the yard, scaled quail, and a hooded oriole. The tentative "bob white" was often heard. Cottontails and jackrabbits passed through, and a skunk ambled by early one morning. We saw fish in the river, reputed to be popular for fishing.

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