Fort Davis National Historic Site

Trail
2.70 Miles
N/A
$6.00
4point5stars (4.60)5
3stars (3.30)
4stars (4.00)
N/A
No
No
N/A
Fort Davis
Jeff Davis
More Info
Photos
Trail
Trail (Photo by yeiyel)
Ft. Davis
Ft. Davis from ground level (Photo by BANDA)
Artillery at Ft. Davis
Artillery at Ft. Davis (Photo by BANDA)
Boulder field along the trail.
Boulder field along the trail. (Photo by BANDA)
Trail map.
Trail map. (Photo by BANDA)
Looking South from scenic overlook.
Looking South from scenic overlook. (Photo by BANDA)
Looking Southeast from scenic overlook.
Looking Southeast from scenic overlook. (Photo by BANDA)
Looking East from scenic overlook.
Looking East from scenic overlook. (Photo by BANDA)
Teepee
Teepee (Photo by BANDA)
Log Entries
More of the Davis Mountains
By yeiyel on 10/18/2017
Rating: 5stars Difficulty: 4stars Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 4.50 Miles Duration: 3 hours

We (6 of us) started our hike at the CCC overlook near the borders of Davis Mtns SP and  Fort Davis Historic Site. The morning was beautiful but when the sun arose it got warm (as it always does)which made for a little difficulty on returning.. This hike offered some different views of the Davis Mtns and an educational overlook of Fort Davis whih is among the best prserved forts I've seen. This hike is pretty rugged, but that usually translates to some very good photo opportunities.

North Ridge Trail
By BANDA on 9/2/2007
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 4stars
Distance: 1.50 Miles Duration: 1 hour

I think mrhinman did a great job of describing this trail, so I won't repeat what he said, but I will add that we enjoyed the trail and the views very much, and only saw a few other people along the way.  Also, here are a few waypoints that you may find useful if you have a GPS receiver:

Boundary with state park: N30 36.000, W 103 54.172

Junction with Hospital Canyon trail: N30 36.022, W103 53.935

Junction with Tall Grass trail: N30 36.133, W103 53.649

Scenic Overlook: N30 36.089, W103 53.635

There is also a virtual geocache within the park.

Very interesting place!

North Ridge Trail/Tall Grass Loop
By mrhinman on 11/15/2006
Rating: 5stars Difficulty: 3point5stars Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 2.50 Miles Duration: N/A
Coming from the Davis Mountains State Park overlook area, it takes about a mile before you hit the boundary at the National Park site. Most of the terrain leading to the boundary is fairly mild, but once in the national park, there is a lot of boulders and steep rocky ascents and descents. Trails are well-formed and maintained, and placards along the way point out plant life and scenic areas. The steepest grades are manageable by the average hiker, but I don't recommend taking small children on this hike, as some drops may be difficult to handle for a little one. First leg after crossing the boundary is 0.3 miles. A "Y" indicates the North Ridge Trail to the left and the Hospital Canyon Trail on the right. The Hospital trail is .7 miles down into the canyon about 300 feet below and ends up at the back of the Fort area. We took the left trail up the ridge. Another 0.3 miles takes you to another split in the trail and a sidetrack to a scenic overlook. A granite outcropping lets you stand and see over Hospital Canyon, and see Sleeping Lion Mountain across the way. The Fort can be seen below the cliff a few hundred feet down. Heading back up the sidetrack to the split, you can drop down 0.4 miles, a steep, rocky drop into the canyon. We took the other leg called the Tall Grass Loop, another 0.8 miles with several scenic overlooks and historical points of interest. At the first viewpoint, look the the Northwest and you'll see a white teepee along Limpia Creek. On the downslope, expect to see a lot of quail and dove. Nice easy drop from there through large boulders. Be sure to pay at the Fort visitor's center for entry to the facility and visit the different areas at the Fort. When we were starting that morning, it was 30F and the wind was about 30-40 MPH. Colder than we wanted, and much windier.
By chris_xg on 6/25/2006
Rating: 5stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A

Man it is fort Davis...what else is there to say.  It was freaking great.  Wild animals at our camp every night.  Cool tempatures at time and stars as far as the eyes can see.

By mullan on 11/23/2001
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 2.70 Miles Duration: N/A
Recommended Item
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Since it was first published in 1996, Official Guide to Texas State Parks and Historic Sites has become Texans’ one-stop source for information on great places to camp, fish, hike, backpack, swim, ride horseback, go rock climbing, view scenic landscapes, tour historical sites, and enjoy almost any other outdoor recreation.