Kurt & Virginia's Travels: Davis Mountains

Davis Mountains State Park

Davis Mountains was our first stop after returning to Texas. It was a long drive day going 326 miles from Elephant Butte, New Mexico, to the Davis Mountains in far west Texas. The Davis Mountains are named after Jefferson Davis. We camped here years ago with our kids. It is a beautiful area with cooler temperatures due to the elevation of over 5,000 feet.

We reserved a full hookup; 50 amp pull through site for eight nights. It was a nice site, but quite unlevel. Even with our Smart Level System, we had to put two boards under each front tire.

The scene of the campground below from Lookout Drive.

Indian Lodge with 39 hotel rooms, is the large white adobe building.

CCC hiking trails begin at this shelter at the end of Lookout Drive.

Jefferson Davis County Courthouse in Fort Davis

Mc Donald Observatory

A short twelve-mile drive through the mountains to the McDonald Observatory. This facility is considered a campus of University of Texas at Austin.

The Visitor Center houses an extensive space museum. This had been added since our last visit in 1989.

This iron meteorite weights 1520 pounds and was found by a seven-year-old just 15 miles from the Observatory in 1903.

These two telescopes are behind the visitor center. We enjoyed viewing Saturn and a star cluster containing over a thousand stars using these scopes when we returned in the evening for a Star Party.

We took a self-guided tour of the facilities. The Otto Struve Telescope, with an 82-inch mirror, sits on top of Locke Summit.

The Hobby-Eberly 433-inch telescope sits on the Mount Fowlkes Summit.

On the Valley floor is the Visitor Center and Museum along with the 82-foot diameter radio telescope. This is one of a series of radio telescopes that make up the National Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). Looking south toward Marfa, Alpine, Big Bend National Park and Mexico.

We arrived back at the Observatory in the evening to view the stars at one of the best star viewing site in the nation.

Fort Davis National Historic Site

Fort Davis was a key post in the defense system of West Texas. From 1854 to 1891 troops were stationed to protect the emigrants, mail and travelers along the 600-mile San Antonio to El Paso Road.