Friends of The Devils River is one of the most beautiful, unspoiled rivers in Texas. It is spring fed and flows over solid limestone, so flows and depth increase as it moves downstream. Water quality is among the very best in the State of Texas. It truly is an oasis in the desert. The river offers a good mix of slow, deep pools separated by brief rapids. The rapids generally range from Class I to II, but several larger rapids could be Class III in high water. Dolan Falls, about 16.4 miles below Baker’s Crossing, is a solid class IV waterfall drop of at least ten feet with Class V consequences due to the remote nature of the river and the strong hydraulic currents below the drop. Under normal conditions the rapids are shallow with large boulders as obstacles. The rapids require technical maneuvering to avoid rocks. Except during flooding, you won’t see any significant hydraulic currents, whirlpools or standing waves. But, beware friends of  the Devils River in flood stage – it can be a killer! The river can flash flood quickly from rains that fall 50 to 100 miles away.

Friends of The Devils river also offers good fishing for small mouth bass, large mouth bass, catfish, and carp. The river is especially well known for its small mouth bass fishery. The usually crystal clear waters make seeing and being seen by fish very easy. More people canoe and kayak the Devils River to fish than to run the whitewater rapids and drops, though those are part of the program unless you have access to private lands where you can avoid those hazards by sataying in a localized area of the river.

In years past, the ugliest things on friends of the Devils River were those 4′ X 8′ plywood “NO TRESPASSING” signs. Those have given way to much smaller, metal, professionally made signs that warn you against getting out of your boat on private property. As of 2011, the ugly signs are gone, but the metal ones are everywhere, though far less obvious. Picking up any litter you may see (which is VERY rare on this river), even if it is not yours, will go a long way toward further reducing hostilities between landowners and paddlers. PLEASE RESPECT PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS!