Explore stunning river views, hidden springs, and ancient dinosaur tracks along the enchanting Devil’s River.
If I had to pick one word to describe Finnegan Springs Trail, “magical” is the word that comes to mind. My daughter and I were absolutely enchanted by this trail. It winds along the Devil’s River and shows off some of the springs that feed Texas’s most beautiful river. The trail is known for its stunning river views, multiple springs, and dinosaur tracks.
Table of Contents
RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES
- Water, at least 2L
- Sunscreen
- Sunhat
- 200 calories of snacks (minimum)
- WAG bag (it’s impossible to get 200 feet from the water if nature calls)
- Camera!
- A sense of wonder
FINEGAN SPRINGS TRAIL: 2.8 MILES ROUND TRIP
The trail itself is 1.4 miles one way, totaling 2.8 miles round trip and gaining a jaw dropping 22 feet of elevation. Think you can handle it?
WARNINGS, DISCLAIMERS, AND IMPORTANT INFO
To get to Finegan Springs Trail, you have to fucking want it. The first challenge is Dolan Creek Road – 22 miles of gravel/dirt road to get to the trailhead. This drive is best done in an SUV although it is doable in a car. All wheel drive and/or high clearance is overkill but 5 ply tires (minimum) is necessary. I heard more than a few horror stories about flat tires on Dolan Creek Road as I researched prior to this trip. Once you finish the 22 miles of Dolan Creek Road, you’re in the park. From here, however, you still have about 8 more miles to go to get to the parking lot for the trailhead. It’s a bitch.
ACCESSING THE TRAIL/LOCATION
You’ll know you’re at the Finegan Springs Trail parking lot when you see a gate with a stop sign across the road. There is a gravel parking lot to the right. Park there.
Park here!
THE INITIAL ROAD WALK
The first .4 miles is simply down the road from the parking lot to the river and boring AF. After that, the trail is almost directly across from the composting toilet (the only facilities in the area), about 20 yards from the river.
Get a look at those facilities!
RIVER VIEWS AND SPRING ENCOUNTERS
From here, the trail is wide and almost looks like a rough, back country road. This is where the real fun starts. The trail parallels the river. Almost immediately there are spectacular river views to the left. You can easily step off the trail to dip your toes in the water or marvel at the river’s wild beauty.
Some areas of the Devil’s River are choked with vegetation. Within the first 1/2 mile of Finegan Springs Trail, there are multiple ares for great river swimming. These areas are a little less river vegetated and deeper than other places along the Devil’s River. Simply detour to the river and jump in!
Best fucking swimming spot in Texas
There are some muddy sections along this trail. Parts of it are shady and other parts are very exposed. There are some great boulders next to the river for kids to climb up on – or for adults to get some great river views.
I was oblivious when we came up on the first spring. It wasn’t gushing from the cliff face and I didn’t hear the sound of trickling. What I did notice is that we had to hop from rock to rock to keep our feet dry. Once I started to pay attention, I noticed that water was discreetly emanating from the cliff on our right.
What I should have remembered is that Finnegan Springs has about 8 small trickling areas and one large area that is more obvious in its flow. These springs flow out of the base of the cliffs for about 200 yards.
The largest of the springs
Devil’s River is a primarily spring fed river. Finegan Springs, combined with Dolan springs, provides the river with 60% of its base flow. In fact, Dolan springs contributes more than 6,000 gallons of water per minute into the Devil’s River.
Not to be outdone by Dolan Creek springs, Finegan Springs bubbles out into the Devil’s River at 12,000-22,000 gallons per minute. These springs are fed from the Georgetown Limestone of the Edwards-Trinity (Plateau) aquifer. When I was there in spring 2025, the ranger informed me that it is much closer to 12,000. Big fucking surprise.
Finegan Springs has changed a lot over the years. The article, ‘Major and Historical Springs of Texas,’ reveals that this area once boasted at least 25 springs and a waterfall during periods of strong spring flow. The report includes an old, grainy black and white picture for those curious to see.
Along this section of trail you may have to hop from rock to rock to keep your feet dry. The springs are right next to the river – no dry land between springs and river. Everything out there feels wild and pristine. There’s no sign of human civilization – no houses or boats – no human noises or trash. It’s just…river.
THE WATER COVERED PATH AND DINOSAUR TRACKS
After rock hopping in an attempt to keep our feet dry, I got a bit of a surprise. As we continued up what we thought was the trail, we got to a spot where there were no more rocks. Instead, what looked like a water covered path stretched out in front of us.
I was confused. We’d only gone .7 of a mile, so I knew there was more trail. To the right the land was far too overgrown to walk on and there was no path. To the left was the Devil’s River. The only option appeared to be to walk up the spring fed, water covered path…so we did!
Heading up the water covered trail.
This may have been one of the best hiking decisions I’ve ever made. As we continued to trek up the water covered path, it became clear that this was indeed part of the trail. The water was generally ankle deep and crystal clear. Underfoot it was rocky so even though we were walking in the water there was no dirt or silt to stir up. It was fucking magical.
We trekked through (or should it be over?) the water covered path for less than 200 yards before the path resumed on dry land.
This led us to the dinosaur tracks – about 5 dino tracks left long ago. Honestly, they looked like 5 inch blobs. Had they not been marked by signage I probably would have blazed past them without noticing. Not even my daughter was impressed.
Dinosaur tracks. Zzz.
Past the dinosaur tracks the trail still offers titillating glimpses of the Devil’s River. This part of the trail is partially covered by trees and offered us a reprieve from the hot spring sun.
At about a 1.2 miles in (because we had already been down by the river and skipped the first .4 mile hike to get down to the trail) we reached the end of the trail. Signage politely informs hikers that this is the furthest point of public access. I’d like to point out the TPWD park map indicates it’s not the actual park boundary.
Here the river is wide, deep and a particularly gorgeous shade of turquoise – stunning in color. Even my daughter, who is not easily impressed by anything, was awed. We sat and drank in the views for a bit. After gawking at this stretch of river, there was nothing left but to turn and march back.
Pictures do not nearly do this shade of blue justice.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
I can’t say enough about this trail, and I don’t often gush. It’s actually fucking magic. My heart didn’t sing on this trail but I felt a true sense of awe and majesty, which is not something that happens often.
Despite the tough journey to the trailhead, this trail’s short, flat length offers an easy hike for everyone. The return on your effort on this trail is hella high.
This trail feels special – the river feels special. It is something that should be treasured, protected, preserved and responsibly enjoyed.
I do recommend this trail with the caveat that it should be undertaken with the greatest of care to respect the land and leave no trace. This is a place that could easily be destroyed and trashed.
If nature calls, have a WAG bag and pack number two out. This place is delicate. If our great state does not start taking water conservation more seriously, it may not exist for our grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Go out and hike Finegan Springs Trail but with the utmost hiker ethics. Leave it better than you found it. And for fuck’s sake, don’t mess with it.
Would definitely recommend.
TLDR
- Very sunny trail – bring lots of water and sunscreen!
- Multiple opportunities for swimming or wading along the trail
- Getting to the trailhead is a bitch (about 30 miles of dirt road!)
- One of the most magical hikes in Texas
Further Reading
https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/dolan-falls-preserve
https://tpwmagazine.com/archive/2023/dec/scout15_wonders/index.phtml
https://www.twdb.texas.gov/publications/reports/numbered_reports/doc/R189/R189.pdf