After leaving Camp Wood, there isn’t much to see for about 30 miles, until you arrive in Rocksprings. There isn’t a lot going on here, which won’t come as a surprise if you’ve looked at the map (Rocksprings is a dot, surrounded by a whole lot of nothing in every direction). But, there’s enough to see to justify a quick leg-stretch around the center of town.
Rocksprings is the county seat for Edwards County, Texas, and as such, there’s a nice courthouse at the center of town.
Walk around, and you’ll spot the old jail, which now offers the one thing you’ll likely need in Rocksprings: a restroom.
Across the road from the courthouse, there’s a visitor center. This is where you can buy your ticket and join up with a tour group, to see Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area. Devil’s Sinkhole is the largest single-chamber cavern in Texas, and the 3rd deepest, measuring over 350 feet deep. It’s also home to millions of bats.
If you’re looking for a place to stay in Rocksprings, the Rocksprings Hotel offers an historic option. The hotel first opened in 1916, though parts of it were destroyed in a devastating tornado that wiped out most of the town in 1927. Most of the current building dates back to a major remodeling job, completed in 1940.†
On the way out of Rocksprings, you really begin to realize that you’ve left the Hill Country behind. Things aren’t exactly flat, like you’d find in Kansas or Florida, but there’s certainly a lot less to hold your attention.
TX-55 ends when it runs into US-277. The intersection is in the middle of nowhere, but for some reason, it’s marked with what appears to be the remnants of a fountain, in the center of the intersection. There’s also a picnic table here, though it’s hardly a nice place for lunch.
After you’ve checked out the mysterious, empty concrete pond, turn onto US-277 for the long drive north to the interstate.
Drivelapse Video
Here’s the time-lapse, dash-cam video of the drive from Camp Wood, through Rocksprings, to Sonora:
No comments