Davis Mountains State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Davis Mountains State Park |
|
|---|---|
The entrance to Davis Mountains State Park in Fort Davis, Texas.
|
|
 Davis Mountains State Park
Location in Texas
|
|
| Location | Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States |
| Nearest city | Fort Davis |
| Area | 2,709 acres (1,096 ha) |
| Established | 1938-1939 |
| Governing body | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
Davis Mountains State Park is a cool place to visit in Jeff Davis County, Texas. It's a big park, about 2,709 acres (1,096 hectares) in size. You can find it in the beautiful Davis Mountains, close to the town of Fort Davis, Texas. The park sits high up, between 5,000 and 6,000 feet (1,524 to 1,829 meters) above sea level.
This park first opened to the public around 1938. Many of its first buildings and trails were built by a group called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. Later, in 1967, the park added more facilities like the Indian Lodge and new campgrounds.
Park History
People first thought about making a state park in the Davis Mountains way back in 1923. The Texas Legislature asked the State Parks Board to look into it. But at that time, they couldn't get any land given to them, and they didn't have money to buy it.
By 1933, a tough time called the Great Depression hit the area hard. Because of this, landowners agreed to donate 560 acres for the park. Two groups from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) arrived in June 1933. They set up their camp and named it Camp Washington Seawell. This name honored the first leader of the nearby Fort Davis National Historic Site.
The CCC workers built many things in the park. They made roads, an overlook shelter, and two mess halls. They also built stone picnic tables, fireplaces, steps, and a restroom. One of their most famous projects was "Indian Lodge," which is a motel and visitor center.
What to See and Do
Davis Mountains State Park is right next to the Fort Davis National Historic Site. You can even walk between the two places using four miles of hiking trails.
Inside the park, you'll find the "Indian Lodge." This is a special adobe motel with thirty-nine rooms. Sixteen of these rooms were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The other twenty-four rooms were added in 1967.
There is also a large bird blind next to the main road. This is a great spot to watch many different kinds of birds. The bird blind has both enclosed and open areas for viewing.
The park also has seven miles of horseback riding trails. These trails are in a special area called the Limpia Canyon Primitive Area. This part of the park is north of Texas State Highway 118.
Plants of the Park
Davis Mountains State Park gets more rain than the Chihuahuan Desert around it. This means you can find many different kinds of trees here. Some trees include Mexican pinyon and Emory oak. You might also see gray oak and one-seed juniper.
Many shrubs grow here too. Look for scarlet bouvardia, little-leaf leadtree, and trompillo. Other shrubs include evergreen sumac, fragrant sumac, and Apache plume. You can also spot little walnut, tree cholla, Torrey yucca, catclaw acacia, and agarita. Even taller trees like ponderosa pine and quaking aspen grow at higher elevations outside the park.
Animals of the Park
You can often see Montezuma quail in the park. Other common animals include Woodhouse's scrub jays, white-winged doves, and curve-billed thrashers. You might also spot white-tailed deer and rock squirrels.
Sometimes, bigger animals like Collared peccary, cougars, and American black bears are seen in the park.
Gallery
-
Rock outcropping along the Indian Lodge Trail
-
View of Indian Lodge from the Indian Lodge Trail
-
Indian Lodge lobby interior
-
View of Davis Mountains State Park (Indian Lodge to the far left)
