Madera Canyon Hiking Trail, Texas, United States

4OregonStrider 5:00 PM Mar 28, 2016

If you love nature, don't miss this awesome mountain canyon hike!
A moderately difficult, 2.5 mile hike, the trail offers views of Madera Canyon, Pine Peak, Mount Livermore (the highest peak in the Davis Mountains), Sawtooth Mountain and the whole of the upper watershed for Madera Creek. At one point, the trail drops down into Chico Canyon, where it follows the creek and takes hikers past a historic stock tank. Hikers traverse stands of stately ponderosa pines, pinion-juniper woodlands and grassy meadows. Wildlife that may be present particularly at dawn or dusk, includes gray foxes, ringtails, western scrub jays, acorn woodpeckers, Montezuma quail, golden eagles, Davis Mountains cottontails, javelina, white-tail and mule deer, mountain short-horned lizards and, rarely, mountain lions. At dawn, visitors may listen for the bugling of elk in the fall or the chorus of coyotes any time of year. Property is part of the Nature Conservancy's Davis Mountain Preserve. No fees. Great hike!!!

4Mark M 5:00 PM Apr 22, 2016

Beautiful Walk Through the Trees
This 2.4 mile loop hike is well marked and easily accessible. While many sections of the trail are uneven and rocky, the grades are reasonable and the overall distance is modest. Parts of the trail overlook a wet-weather creek and you will pass one small pond, which is a good place to look for birds and wildlife. If you are a birder you may see some rare species such as Gray Flycatcher and Wiliamson's Sapsucker. The trailhead is in the Lawrence E. Wood Picnic Area about 15 miles west of Fort Davis. The drive there is beautiful and takes you past the McDonald Observatory.