Davis Mountains State Park, West Texas

I recommend that you add this park to your bucket list. It is beautiful, quiet and remote with great hikes, wildlife and good basic amenities like a nice clean bathhouse. The nights were very dark and the stars were brilliant. There are javalinas and mountain lions in the area but we did not see any.

We stayed here for four days during which I mostly recovered from a bad head cold. I used so many handkerchiefs that I hand washed some and lay them on the picnic table under rocks to dry. When I used then afterwards, I could smell the faint scent of burnt mesquite. It was almost like incense from church but much earthier. They do a lot of planned burning out here and even thought there were no active fires, the smell of the burnt wood lingered.

It was still in the 40s and 50s so hiking was great. The altitude made the going a little slower (that’s my excuse and I am sticking with it). All day we listened to the mating calls of the Bared Owls. To get cell phone or Internet service, we had to drive up the mountain, which had a beautiful view.

 

We had fun exploring the local area. Got some good tips from Paul and Joan, octogenarians from Connecticut, and went on a great scenic loop on Route 166. The scenery was incredible and looked something like the Australian outback. They also recommend that we come back next year for the Cowboy Poetry Contest, which we may do. The town of Fort Davis had a great Mexican Restaurant and the Davis Mountain Nut Company. We visited the old Fort Davis, which gave us a good glimpse into life on the frontier days. We checked out the McDonald Observatory and the science of that was mind blowing.

 

I call this place a gem because it was so beautiful and quiet and remote.

One morning I went outside to watch the stars and had one of those moments in life when everything seems so clear. The richness of the moment opened up and held me and words cannot express how my heart opened to the beauty of exactly where I was. I feel so grateful for that gift. Here is an audio clip of a mediation drumming to the spirit of Davis Mountain. Enjoy! Click here for drumming