Davis Mountains state park

     In this 60-mile wide scene from June 1st, 1993, the Davis Mountains dominate, highlighted by green vegetation at higher elevations. Highway 90 cuts  diagonally across the scene from the southeast corner, passing through the town of Marfa. The Sierra Vieja (“old mountains”) are the blue-tinted trend along the western border of the scene. The Rio Grande makes an appearance in the southwest corner, its valley filled with bright green vegetation.

     Davis Mountains State Park in the Trans-Pecos ecoregion is home to javelinas, mountain lions, and over 250 species of birds. The Park is recognized as a Globally Important Bird Area for its diversity of species and for providing habitat for several species of conservation concern including the endangered black-capped vireo and the threatened western yellow-billed cuckoo.  The Park is also famous for the infrastructure built by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) throughout the park in the 1930s including roads, stone picnic tables, fireplaces, and the iconic Indian Lodge. All are still in use today. Davis Mountains State Park was one of the earliest projects for the CCC in Texas, established in 1933 to provide jobs during the Great Depression.

Northwest of the Park lies McDonald Observatory, home to the Hobby-Eberly telescope, which is exploring our galaxy for planets around other stars.

     Fort Davis is home to the Fort Davis National Historic Site, a restored pre-Civil War frontier fort  garrisoned following the Civil War by the Buffalo soldiers – regiments composed largely of former slaves.  Highway 90 cut diagonally across the scene from the southeast corner, passing through the town of Marfa. Marfa is home to the historic Hotel Paisano – location headquarters for the Academy Award-winning film Giant (1956). 

Davis Mountains State Park is located at:

Latitude: 30.599103

Longitude: -103.929450