Fort Davis, Texas
I chose to end 2023 getting out and getting active which happens to be a huge part of my 2024 goals. To end the trip I swung by Davis Mountains. This is an out-there park and if you have the time, it’s only an hour and a half away from Big Bend National Park. I lost reception right before I got to the park entrance and actually missed it and ended up driving a few miles down the road before I got the feeling I took, or didn’t take I should say, a wrong turn. The park entrance isn’t too far after you leave Fort Davis, but the sign started with Indian Lodge and there was an impatient Jeep behind me so I didn’t finish reading the next two lines which said Davis Mountains State Park. The visitor center is very small and if you’re into collectibles, you won’t really be able to find them here. I collect pins and keychains and will have to figure out where to order one. The campsites are very nice and shaded. They have picnic tables and fire rings with a grill set up. For tent campers or anyone who uses stakes, they are not at all easy to get in and the top few inches of dirt has a lot of rocks. The restrooms were pretty decent and standard. The water did dry my skin out, so bring lotion if you’re prone to dry skin. Several restrooms are located around the campgrounds, but not all of them have showers. For the most part, you can avoid the road noise generated by people in the park, but there are a few sites along the road to Skyline Drive so if you’re looking for peace and quiet, definitely avoid those. Something I did discover on my way back into camp after stopping by the Interpretive Center is that the park buildings have wifi and these tend to extend a little into the campground. I stayed at Site 33 and was generally able to access the internet and send and receive texts. For the most part, however, there is mostly no cell service available at the campsites, so plan on having activities that don’t require a connection.
To start my day, I hiked out along the Skyline Drive Trail. This is one of the longer trails inside the park, but still pretty short in my opinion. Along the way, I did run into a small group of what looked like dogs that may have run away, but they seemed to mind their own businesses. This trail leaves from the campgrounds and heads behind the amphitheater before heading up and around the mountain. Once I got to the first viewpoint, my phone started buzzing so there is service along most of this trail. I wasn’t too thrilled about the landscape when I arrived, but you can never be upset at the view from a high point. This first spot where everything finally opened up showed me that my initial thoughts about this park were wrong. The trail itself is pretty uneventful. Not a lot of ups and downs and it’s pretty well maintained. I’d say this trail would be pretty good for any time of day because you are walking along a ridge of sorts. There are a few viewpoints with benches that you can check out. At each of these sites, there are plaques that talk about the area and its history. It’s a fairly well-marked trail, the first paved section that you have to cross on the way up was the only thing that tricked me a little. There are a few road crossings, so be sure to keep your eyes and ears alert. The end of this trail isn’t inside the park, so be careful as you get closer to the finish. There is a little access trail that will put you on Skyline Drive Road, and I definitely recommend heading up that direction to see some of the history created by the CCC. Up here, you can find a small tower you can go up, a lookout building, and a few picnic tables which are great for taking a rest.
If that’s not your style, you can keep heading on until you meet up with the Old CCC trail and the trail to the Fort Davis historical site. I chose to take the Old CCC trail back to my site instead of continuing on. This trail did not start off enjoyable in my opinion. It was covered in very large rocks and stones that weren’t packed in with dirt and made the concern that I would roll my ankle exceptionally high. I can only assume this is for park vehicle access due to the connection to the highway at the bottom. Speaking of that, this trail is alongside the highway that runs through the area, so there is a pretty decent amount of road noise for the first section of the train. After that, it turned into a dirt trail that headed back toward camp. This did have a few ups and downs and was much more enjoyable than the start. I did gain service along the highway but once I turned into the mountains again, that was gone. This trail is shaded in the morning (at least in winter), so plan accordingly based on temperatures when you want to travel it. I personally wouldn’t do this particular trail again.
In the afternoon, I took on the Montezuma Quail Trail and attempted to hike the Indian Lodge Trail. The trailhead at Indian Lodge was closed for renovations, so the trail ended early at a scenic viewpoint. Montezuma climbed its elevation very quickly into the trail and definitely had me out of breath. It doesn’t last for long though until it starts to level out. I found both ends of this trail to be covered in rocks that were ready to roll an ankle, so be careful when you’re out there. The middle of the trail is on top of a nice little hill, and there’s a bench up there to take in the view. This is also where it connects to the Indian Lodge Trail. Indian Lodge travels up a little longer before emerging onto a better viewpoint than the Skyline viewpoints. The range seems to open up a lot more on this side of the park than the other, and you can look down into the campground from here. It was a little easier to lose the trail on top, but in general, if you keep walking in the direction you were going, you’ll run into it on the other side.
I found this to be a great little weekend park. There’s a little of everything but not a ton of anything. Nearby is the McDonald Observatory for anyone who heads out to the remote wilderness to stargaze.
Entrance Fee: $6
Camping with Water: $15/night + Entrance Fee
Camping with Electricity: $20/night + Entrance Fee
Camping with Full Hookups $25/night + Entrance Fee
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