Davis Mountains State Park
We go camping every fall with close family friends. Our kids love these trips and are planning the next adventure as soon as we depart. Our destination this year was Davis Mountains State Park in West Texas. We loaded our vehicles to maximum capacity and headed down the highway in a 3-car caravan, with six adults, seven children, and a 7-hour journey on the horizon.
Ozona is a great lunch spot about halfway between Austin and Davis Mountains State Park. We picked up sandwiches and ate a picnic in the heavily shaded, historic town square. It was a fantastic opportunity for the kids to run and stretch their legs.
We arrived at our campgrounds and began the process of setting up 4 tents before we headed to the McDonald Observatory for their popular Star Party. We decided beforehand that we would eat at the StarDate Café, located in the Frank N. Bash Visitor’s Center. The kids ate hot dogs and quesadillas while the adults ordered brisket sandwiches. The evening was chilly, and the kids warmed up with hot cocoa from the café. The Star Party began with a constellation tour. Our guide led us to the amphitheater where his laser pointer highlighted the black obsidian sky. He indicated which stars were brightest and recounted the mythological stories pertaining to the constellations while addressing the science behind the patterns and objects in the sky. The absence of light pollution allowed us to see a plethora of stars not visible in our home base of Austin. After the discussion led by our knowledgeable guide, we were released to the Telescope Park. The kids were anxious to start their trek through the maze of telescopes to witness all the magic held in the secrets of the night sky. The high-powered telescopes gave us an opportunity to view Saturn, a nebula, a binary star system, and the Andromeda Galaxy.
The next morning, we embarked on a hike along the Montezuma Quail Trail and the Indian Lodge Trail that provided us with sweeping views of the canyon and valleys. These trails are rocky and small cacti are found abutting the path, as my daughter quickly found out. Back at the campsite, we filled our bellies and relaxed in the shade of the trees and in the confines of the tents. Later, we piled into our cars and drove along the Skyline Drive Trail to Keesey Canyon Overlook. The Davis Mountains formed from violent volcanic activity 35 million years ago which gives these “Texas Alps” their unique formation, as seen along their sidewalls. There is a lushness found here, due to higher rainfall, that is not common in the Trans-Pecos region.
That evening we built a campfire and prepared a fajita dinner. For dessert, we roasted marshmallows and architected s'mores. After the children were asleep, the adults visited around the fire and shared in lots of laughter. A few friendly foxes found us interesting and tried to sneak a bite of our leftover strips of steak and chicken. Luckily, we did not witness a viewing of the mountain lions that inhabit the park. We did spot several mottled rock rattlesnakes and almost sat on a ledge directly above one of the well-camouflaged reptiles!
Our final morning, we made bacon and egg breakfast tacos and started the arduous job of packing everything back into our SUVs before our next stop at Balmorhea State Park, 30 miles away. This park boasts the world’s largest spring-fed pool. The San Soloman Springs feed this 1.75-acre pool that was built in the 1930s. We couldn’t wait to peel off our crusty socks and dip our feet in this 72-76-degree pool after a long weekend of camping. Parts of this pool reach depths of 25 feet! This cool spot in the middle of this hot, arid land is a popular venue for locals and visitors alike. Since we were staying at the Davis Mountain State Park, our park entrance fee to Balmorhea was waived. That made our decision to stop a no-brainer, and we indulged in the relaxing atmosphere before our long drive back home.
Texas is a large state with distinct terrain in a variety of regions. We loved our camping experience at Davis Mountains State Park and will look to stay in a different segment of West Texas on a subsequent trip for an overall experience.
