Devils River State Natural Area has a major new addition north of Del Rio: the 18,000-acre Dan A. Hughes Unit, offering primitive riverfront camping and 10 miles of hiking trails along one of Texas's most remote waterways. The expansion pushes the natural area's total protected footprint to more than 37,000 acres with access to the Devils River.
The unit sits about an hour north of Del Rio and was celebrated with speeches, refreshments and a ribbon cutting on Friday, Oct. 9, according to EIN Presswire. Texas Parks & Wildlife, the state agency behind the park system, also marked the addition in a social post celebrating the new unit's opening.
Primitive Camping and Rugged Trails
The new unit offers a handful of primitive campsites along the river, with no water or electricity, including both drive-up and walk-in options near composting toilets, per the same EIN Presswire account. Hiking across the unit's 10 miles of trail brings views of the river, cliffs and canyons that have made the Devils River a draw for backcountry visitors.
Beyond the riverfront sites, the unit includes the RM 30 Devils Back Campground and the RM 33 Paffords Crossing Day-Use Area, according to a listing from Texas State Parks/ReserveAmerica, which refers to the property as the Dan Allen Hughes Unit. Primitive riverside campsites are available seven days a week, though they require Devils River Access permits and advance reservations, the reservation system notes.
Getting There Takes Planning
Reaching the unit means traveling county and private roads, and the reservation listing strongly recommends high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles for the trip. The nearest full-service gas station is 35 miles away in Del Rio, so visitors are advised to fuel up and plan supplies well in advance.
Anglers heading to the Devils River should also know that both largemouth and smallmouth bass are catch-and-release only, per EIN Presswire's account of the opening celebration. Visitors looking to explore beyond the unit's 10-mile river boundary, or to use the Devils Back area, need a Devils River Access Permit, and Devils Back specifically requires an authorized TPWD guide or shuttle-service concessionaire, according to the ReserveAmerica listing.
A Long Road From Private Land to Public Park
The Dan A. Hughes Unit traces back to 2010, when Dan A. Hughes helped lead a group of private donors in raising more than $10 million toward purchasing 17,000 acres along the Devils River, according to Texas Outdoors Journal. Texas Parks and Wildlife formally acquired the 18,000-acre property in 2011, as reported by Texas Highways.
The land wasn't always known by its current name. On May 21, 2015, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission authorized renaming what had been called the Big Satan Unit as the Dan A. Hughes Unit, Texas Outdoors Journal reported at the time. The unit also carries 10 miles of frontage on the Devils River and Amistad Reservoir, the outlet noted.
Conflicting Details on Distance and Access
Sources differ on exactly how the Dan A. Hughes Unit relates to the natural area's other section, the Del Norte Unit. EIN Presswire describes the Devils River as connecting the two units, with Del Norte sitting 13 miles upstream, while Texas Highways places the Dan A. Hughes Unit about 15 river miles south of Del Norte.
The two outlets also diverge on public access. Texas Highways reports that the southern unit is closed to the public except for guided tours, public hunts and the Devils River Access Permit program, and notes that Parks and Wildlife is developing the unit with the eventual goal of opening it more broadly, though no timetable has been given. The ReserveAmerica reservation listing, by contrast, lists riverfront sites as available seven days a week, subject to permits and reservations.
At the neighboring Del Norte Unit, visitors can already enjoy day hiking, primitive camping, nature viewing, mountain biking, horseback riding, swimming and fishing, according to Texas Outdoors Journal. Together, the Del Norte and Dan A. Hughes units make up the bulk of the more than 37,000 acres of protected land now connected by the Devils River in Val Verde County.
