Davis Mountains State Park

Davis Mpuntains is truly amazing. A great blend of high desert mountains, endless night skies, and incredibly friendly people. I stayed in a tent site (#69) on the end of the loop, as I thought the park would be crowded. But, to my surprise, in early March, it was not! There are sites with full hookups, hot showers, many many hiking trails, and even free Wi-Fi at the headquarters/park entrance! There is little to no cell signal (Verizon) anywhere in the park, except along the Skyline Drive, so be prepared with a booster, or, for a great escape! Excellent park :).

Tent sites are $15 a night, and, if you are a TX parks pass holder, you get half off your second night, and free admission to the park (admission is also charged in addition to camping fee if not a pass holder).

Used this campground as we left Big Bend . Ft Davis is a quaint little town . Getting food at a restaurant is a task . Nice grocery though and hardware store . The park is fairly clean , the lodge and hotel were very minimally supplied but they were about to renovate it . Clean showers except my wife got locked in the bathroom ..

In west Texas lots of site variety- tents, trailers, rvs. Full hookup, water/electric, or just water. Found a good site for short trailer

I had an awesome campsite by a dry creek bed. I was close to a restroom that was clean and had hot showers with good pressure. The view from Davis Mountain is amazing.

We stopped for one night along our trip.

We stayed here two nights in Nov 2021, and it was amazing, can't wait to go back this summer!  The RV loop had full hookups, including sewer, and was a pull through site long enough for our 27' rig.  The campground was within walking distance of a couple of hiking trails, and a short drive up the mountain to more hiking trails up top.  We also checked out the Indian Lodge hotel down the road, which is a pretty cool historic building with lots of historical pieces and photos from its construction during the Great Depression.

A real highlight during our stay in the Davis Mtns was touring the McDonnel Observatory and attending a Star Party where we got to look through a number of telescopes at the planets and nebulas visible in the very dark and very clear West Texas sky.

Overall a very cool place to check out!

This is my second review of Davis Mountains State Park.  So many great trails to explore. Campsites are well spaced and fully equipped.  Not far away is Fort Davis if you need to re-supply.  Not far away is McDonald Observatory with really great tours and Star Parties.

My grandson, my dog and I set up our tents in a fully equipped (electricity, water and a table) and fairly level site.  The site was convenient to everything if you don't mind walking.  Why should you as this park is made for hiking.  Numerous trails.  Some short. Some long. Some easy.  Some not so easy.  The park is also a place for great views of the area and a great place to hang out waiting for the Star Party at the McDonald Observatory.  You will also like the dark sky at night if you brought your telescope.

Only drawback I would say is the lack of a gift shop for souvenirs, snacks, and toiletries you forgot to pack.  The backup is a drive to the nearest town Fort Davis.

Also cell phone and wifi services are only available by driving up to one of the vistas. Easiest is the vista about half-way up Skyline Drive

This State Park in the Big Bend area is remote and for me this is part of the wonder. Just getting here is an adventure and worth every mile driving into the park. It’s amazing that the CCC were able to build such an amazing lodge in this isolated and beautiful part of Texas. 

Site 47 has water and electric and was mostly level with wonderful shade, which is a rare commodity in this campground.  This site has a grand old cottonwood I was able to fit my RV under. 

I had no cell service (Verizon) even with a booster and when I needed to make contact (due to an RV mechanical issue) I had to hike the Lodge. Others who had ATT were able to get service when near the shower houses/restrooms. Not a big deal if you don’t need it. 

Lots to see and do in this area. Make sure to see the hoodoos and visit Ft. Davis and the Davis Mountain Observatory. Also nearby Alpine and Marfa.

Great campground offering tent sites to FHUs for RVs. Great wildlife viewing areas and some awesome hiking trails.

First off, drive in one route, then leave another way. Lots to see. (Keep an eye out for wild bores! Almost hit two on drive in) I entered from the north in Kent on TR-118 S. I exited on TR-118 E to TR-17 NE towards Balmorhea. This year everything was super green for September and was so beautiful, in a west texas way. Make sure to go up to the lookout point before you leave. Great views! Campsite was average. WARNING - Hard ground. Might have to MacGuyver a custom anchor for different tent pegs. I had to use rope to secure one peg because the only place it would sink in and not hit rocks was two feet away from the tent peg loop. Bathrooms and showers were great! Free showers! Look out for creatures. Was taking a shower when a spider with 3” legs started traversing the ceiling directly above me. Thats 6” wingspan. Big enough to freak me out. Still, i would come back for sure.

I almost always stay a night here when I'm in West Texas. My most recent trip was great. I will say in the summer, be prepared for summer storms. Everytime I've been this year I experienced a storm. Little to no cell service unless you are on top on the mountains. I was told after I set up that they were not allowing hammocks at the time, so be aware that they may not disclose that one online.

Stayed in early May. Warm days, cool night. First of all. tons of decent hiking, especially if you're the explore-off-the-trail type. Apparently there is a wonderful, full-service lodge, which I saw from above (on a trail) but didn't visit. So if camp food is getting old, mosey over to their restaurant. 

As for the camping, most sites have decent shade... except mine. Mine was also one of the smaller sites. So any site that is NOT #89 may offer better coverage and space, but even my spot was pretty groovy. Midweek in May, you have a lot of choices.

Internet? Not a thing. Maybe at the lodge, but I wasn't getting any signal on my phone of any kind. More impetus to go hike. 

The bathrooms are decent, but spread out a bit. The staff is quite friendly. There are a ton of birds, who serenade you in the morning. The night was pleasantly full of animal sounds. What I thought might be the call of young coyotes really close by might have been the small, wild pigs that are the ugliest/cutest things ever. 

State Route 118 is a fascinating, beautiful, and very empty stretch of road. watch out for aforementioned pigs. They cross regularly.

We stayed here one night in April 2021 and could have gladly stayed longer. Nice campground, with privacy between sites and some shade. There are good hikes right from the campground , which is nice. It’s much cooler here than other nearby parts of Texas and locals told us that this is generally true (not just when we were there). Some javalinas visited our campsite at night and ate our dog’s food (our fault for leaving it out). Nice spot, we would return here again.

One night in the primitive campsite across from the park $15 for the night $6 a person for the park nice and quite no  amenities at primitive site but loads including showers at the park which is open 24/7

The Davis Mountains and the state park offer an opportunity for Texans to experience all the Trans-Pecos has to offer.

With close proximity to McDonald Observatory, Balmorhea, Alpine, Marathon, Marfa, and even close enough for a day trip to Big Bend & Terlingua, this campground is tough to beat.

The sites themselves are well cared for, with clean bathrooms and attentive hosts. The trails are modest but still offer some stunning views. The on-site, CCC built Indian Lodge is a beautiful work of architecture and history.

It’s hard to imagine this site being set up any better than it is.

Between the elevation and the dark skies, the nights are spectacular. We have stayed in August 2 years in a row and we loved the cool evenings to sit out and watch the stars. They have a lot of great trails, and you never know what wildlife you will see. We have seen Mule deer, Javalenas, Audad, as well as numerous birds I had never seen before. The McDonald Observatory is close by and the drive around to Marfa is Beautiful. We always go into Fort Davis at least once to eat at the old store. The Indian Lodge at the park also has a very good restaurant. It is only open for Breakfast and Lunch, and it is closed Sunday and Mondays.

“The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas!” 

Tucked within the heart of the West Texas mountains and one of the darkest skies in the contiguous 48, lies this stunning State Park, built by the CCC in the 1930’s. The beautiful campsites offer privacy, space, and full hook-up amenities or rustic primitive tent sites. The bathrooms were clean, and the showers hot! 

During the COVID restrictions, it seemed that they were stepping up to keep their facilities safe, and open to the public. The efforts were appreciated and noticed. Though the park is somewhat small by Texas standards, the hiking and mountain biking options are challenging and varied. The views from the summits are worth the effort. 

As another State Park that offers birding locations, this area is a birder’s paradise with a gorgeous bird blind. Many migrating species include stops to this mountain range during their fly-overs, and we added a few new species to our life list.   

One gem inside this park is the historic, adobe inn, built by the CCC. While the name of the place, “Indian Lodge” comes from a time when that was considered honoring the first inhabitants of the area, the architecture remains a classic. It is simply beautiful and made us think about honeymoons, and anniversary getaways.  While we didn't stay, we got a tip that breakfast was great, so walked up there and got breakfast burritos to go.  They did not disappoint!

While many state parks won't allow vans and small campers in the primitive section of the campground, this one did...so bring your solar panel and save some money on your campsite.

One thing about Texas State Parks, we’ve met a huge number of Rangers who simply love their job. It’s clear that they are doing something right by the way the folks show pride in their work. I don’t know about you, but I draw inspiration from folks who really seem to love their job and their park.

Fort Davis is the closest town with groceries and gas, but don't miss out on funky Marfa, just a bit farther down the road.  And, the McDonald Observatory to the north is definitely worth a visit!

We spent a few nights at Davis Mountains and it was gorgeous....for southwest Texas, haha. The hiking is great and the spots, we stayed in our NoBo 19.3. We took our 7 year old, 9 year old and 2 dogs on the Skyline Trail hike. It’s one of the longer trails and we had to catch the CCC trail to head back to our site. The wildlife was active and we had a pack of 6 Javelina walk through our site, and a skunk.....The only couple things that I’d warn people about is that the site has been in a burn ban sense 11-19, and they’re hardcore about it, as they should be. We had a propane fire pit and had a park host and park ranger come by to make sure we weren’t burning wood. There’s not a ton of “kid stuff” to do. There was a dry creek bed behind our site that helped, but I didn’t see any playgrounds or stuff like that for kids. The last thing to be aware of, if you’re in a camper, is the waste hookups aren’t level and takes some “leveling” to make for an continual flow of waste water.

Attractive, well maintained large sites, good privacy if no hook ups needed. Site 81 was my favorite. Water, picnic table, fire ring. I’d give it a 5 star review but no cell service, or WiFi.

After staying in exclusively free, dispersed camping for some time, the $20 felt like a lot, but there are amenities and services, and was worth it- especially in TX where there is little free camping.

I called day of because online reservations can only be made 2 days in advance. The staff person was extremely friendly and helpful and booked me a site immediately over the phone, with a credit card to hold the reservation. I was so pleased to have a spot to call home for the night when I arrived some hours later.

If you’re camping in your car, ask for a tent site with a flat parking area. My site had a slanted parking area, so I parked sideways which ended up working out.

Bathrooms are very clean, and I saw no one in or around them when I used the facilities. My site had a water spigot as well. In the morning, someone came by to give me a day pass in case I needed to come and go. Alas, I had to head on- I wish I could have hiked here! It’s beautiful!

It felt very safe.

No service for ATT. Google got me there just fine, but be sure to put in the address ahead of time so when you lose service you can still get there!

I loved this spot. It’s well taken care of, and has great facilities and campsites. My only complaint is it’s a tad expensive but still worth the stay. Wild life all around here as well, I had a skunk steal my French toast during my stay.

April 9-12, 2019 Very memorable park. Lots of talks and lectures. Water, electric, dump station, showers, flush toilets, and some sites with sewer. No Verizon cell service unless we went up to the Skyline Drive Scenic Overlook. Elevation 5,050. Had WiFi but we could only get if we used the booster. Had State Park pass and received a discount (1/2 off third night). The Black Bear Restaurant had a GREAT/FRESH salad bar.

We only stopped here for a night- it’s a bit far off the main road for a quick stop but it’s a beautiful place. Sites weren’t that close but it’s also not “tree-y” enough to provide privacy on the loop we were on. Saw deer walk near the grounds. Electric and water hookups worked perfectly. Weather was a nice break from the usual Texas sun. Would return!

We only stayed here one night passing through west Texas on our way home, but I’m glad we discovered this place. The camping was pretty close together, so I’d probably want to find dispersed camping when we go back, but the campground had full hookups, bathrooms, and showers. The campground was also about 5 minutes from town, and Fort Davis is pretty adorable. The stars are amaaazing out there, though. So pretty! We definitely had some critters who visited us during the night because our dog’s water bowl was chewed up! Will go back.

For many years Ft Davis was one of our regular destinations during spring break. That part of Texas is breathtaking in the spring. We have had javelina come through even investigate our tent. So be sure to keep your spot clean and store all your food properly.

There’s a great hike that goes from the state park to the historic fort that I would recommend. It can be semi-strenuous but it’s well worth it.

We stayed here for 4 nights and couldn’t have asked for a better stay! A lot of wildlife come within feet of your campsite; we saw mule deer and skunks and a bull snake during our stay. We didn’t have cell service at our campsite but did when we went up the scenic road. The park isn’t but a few miles outside of Fort Davis and you can get cell service there if needed. Also, there’s fuel/gas, a grocery store and a few restaurants in Fort Davis. Balmorhea is approx 45 minutes away and Marfa is only about 30 away and you can’t not go to the McDonald Observatory that’s only 13 miles away. Lots of fun places to explore here!

My family and I enjoyed the park. I have 3 boys, 4 month old, 5 & 6 year old, they had a blast. The weather was perfect, high 90s and low 60s. The park and views are just breath taking. Love that the restroom are very clean. We stayed in campsite 70. FYI very little shade, no water spout on site, and restroom are a little far. We went during the 4th of July, and went to the top of the mountain to watch the fire works. Very nice park, we will definitely be back.

We loved our stay here. Enjoyed hiking the gorgeous trails and seeing all the wildlife. Foxes, hogs and deer came to our campsite. Loved the bird watching stations.

My husband and I are on a three week camping trip from Dallas TX to various parts of California, and needed a stopping point so we choose Davis Mountains state park and it was perfect! The park is well maintained, bathrooms clean, nice hiking trails and beautiful fauna and flora. Bird watchers will love this place. We tent camped and three deer greeted us at our creek side campsite. If tent camping is not your thing, there are plenty of RV sites, and a great lodge. While in the area, we attended a star gazing party at McDonald Observatory, if you have never been, it’s a MUST SEE! They have parties on Tuesday and Saturday evenings, reservations needed, and remember, it gets chilly in the mountains at night. Caution, there is no cell service for miles around.