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. 

We had to dig out our jackets, hadn't needed them in quite a while.

Enlisted Men's Barracks

The restoration and preservation of the fort is a continuing effort.

The Fort Commissary

It was well stocked.

Two Story Officers Quarters

Commanding Officer's Quarters

Post Hospital

Inside the Post Hospital more people were treated for common ailments than for battle wounds.

Geronimo Scenic Byway

There are two legs of the Geronimo Scenic Byway, both branching off west of I-25 with Elephant Butte midway between the two. We took the northern route one day and drove the southern route a second day.

Chloride Ghost Town

Chloride got its start in 1880 when a rich silver strike was discovered. By 1900 it was a quiet village and today only twelve people are permanent residents.

The Grafton Cabin is now a historical site.

The General Store is now a museum. When the town folded, the proprietors of the store just locked the doors and left everything in place.

Most of the items in the General Store are the original merchandise.

End of the North Scenic Road

The north Scenic Byway ends at Beaverhead Ranger Station. From there the road turns into a high-clearance dirt road.

Emory Pass

After passing through a number of "Ghost Towns", our first stop along the southern route was Emory Pass at 8,168-foot elevation.

Almost 140,000 acres were burned from a lightning strike during this month-long fire, the largest in New Mexico history.

Great views from the top. We could see Elephant Butte Lake over 50 miles away.

Santa Rita Copper Mine

We made a stop at this active copper mine. 

Currently 100,000,000 pounds of copper is extracted from this mine each year. The mine works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

They started digging this pit in 1910. For a time, it was the largest open pit copper mine on the planet.

Big tire from 2.5-million-dollar dump truck.

Since the ore contains less than one percent copper, most of the material extracted is dumped into massive tailing piles all around the area. This is one of many piles.

Old bridge from 1927 and new Percha Canyon Bridge.

Lake Valley Historic Ghost Town

The town of Lake Valley was founded in 1882 with a large silver discovery. During the depression of 1893 the town was abandoned due to declining silver prices. It is now being preserved by the Bureau of Land Management.

General Store

Some of the old homes.

The schoolhouse has been converted into a BLM office and Visitor Center.

Elephant Butte

We arrived at Elephant Butte Lake RV Resort on September 1 for a week.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

This National Wildlife Refuge is located just south of Socorro, New Mexico. 

The Refuge has a very nice visitor center and is over 57,000 acres.

Thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese arrive here beginning in October and winter on the Refuge.

There is a 14-mile self-guided auto tour loop. Some of the American White Pelicans have already made their stop over during their migration.

Fort Craig National Historic Park

Fort Craig, established in 1854, was one of the largest and most important frontier forts in the West. Set in the rugged beauty of Socorro County, N.M., it was one of the eight forts situated along the primary north-south road in the Rio Grande Valley. Fort Craig played a crucial role in Indian campaigns and the Civil War. The fort is in a rather remote location, about four miles off I-25 on a gravel road on property managed by Bureau of Land Management.

This is part of what is left, the Commanding Officer's Quarters.

Veterans Memorial Park and Hamilton Military Museum in Truth or Consequences

The museum was quite extensive and held memorabilia of all wars involving the US military.

This is a half scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington DC. After traveling the United States for three years, it found its permanent home in T or C, New Mexico.

Elephant Butte Lake and Dam

Just down the road from our campground is the Elephant Butte Lake and State Park. The lake was quite busy over the Labor Day Holiday weekend.

The Elephant Butte Dam was built in 1912 and enhanced in 1938.

The dam is 1674 feet long and over 300 feet tall and holds back the Rio Grande River.

The lake is currently about 5% full.

The namesake of the lake - Elephant Butte. Using your imagination, it looks like an elephant laying down with its head to the far left.