Devils Hole
Devils Hole contains the world's entire wild population of the endangered Devil's Hole pupfish, flowing at 92°F from a limestone cavern 186.2 meters from Devils Hole Road at 2,325 feet elevation. The pool represents the surface expression of a deep geothermal aquifer system, protected under Category 1 status by the National Park Service within Death Valley National Park, emerging 24.3°F above ambient in one of North America's most legally significant conservation sites.
The pool occupies a fissure in Paleozoic carbonate bedrock at the edge of the Amargosa Desert, where tectonic faulting created pathways for ancient groundwater to surface in a confined limestone cavity extending to unknown depths. The visible pool measures roughly 10 by 20 feet, but the cavern system below extends at least 500 feet down with side passages explored by divers. Annual precipitation totals just 3.9 inches while average air temperatures reach 67.7°F, making this small thermal pool one of Earth's most restricted aquatic habitats supporting an entire vertebrate species.
Devils Hole gained its ominous name from early miners or explorers who noted the dark, apparently bottomless opening in the desert floor. The Devil's Hole pupfish was scientifically described in 1930, having evolved in complete isolation for 10,000-20,000 years. Groundwater pumping threats in the 1960s-70s led to the landmark 1976 Supreme Court case Cappaert v. United States, establishing federal reserved water rights doctrine. The site became a detached unit of Death Valley National Park, with 24-hour monitoring and security protecting the critically endangered fish population.
The pool is closed to all public access; visitors can view the fenced area from Devils Hole Road after a short walk, but entry is prohibited and surveillance cameras monitor the site continuously. The National Park Service restricts access to protect the pupfish, whose entire wild population numbers fewer than 200 individuals confined to a shallow shelf in the pool. Spring and fall offer the most comfortable conditions for roadside viewing in this desert environment.
Is Devils Hole worth visiting?
Best for
- Warm-water soaking