4 Star Places To Visit in Fort Davis, Texas, United States (8)

1. 4.5 McDonald Observatory (1.310 reviews)
   - It's worth the long drive and an overnight stay nearby.
   Wednesday: Spent 2-3 hours Observatories & Planetariums
   
   
   The McDonald Observatory Visitors Center staff appreciate all of the positive reviews (and even some of the negative ones, too!) that well-meaning and well-intentioned visitors have left over the years. However, we feel that TripAdvisor does not provide anywhere close to the level of management tools needed to combat the misinformation that routinely is provided by, again, well-intentioned visitors to others visiting its pages. With no way other than the "management response" feature to cull and corral the sometimes wildly misleading information posted on these pages, we feel that using TripAdvisor for anything beyond getting the general feel of the establishment is pointless. See more..
   
2. 4.5 Fort Davis National Historic Site (801 reviews)
   - Well preserved late 1800s Western Fort with knowledgeable staff
   Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Historic Sites
   
   
   A restored cavalry post that is open to the public. See more..
   
3. 4.5 Davis Mountains State Park (538 reviews)
   - Enjoy the scenery
   Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM State Parks
   
   
   The scenic landscape is great for bird watching, biking and more. See more..
   
4. 4.5 Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center & Botanical Gardens (301 reviews)
   - Beautiful Views and Trails
   Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails • Gardens
   
   
   Located 4 miles SE from Fort Davis on Hwy 118, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center is comprised of semi-desert grasslands and igneous rock outcrops with a riparian canyon and spectacular views from all directions. Explore a variety of hiking trails ranging from the Modesta Canyon Trail that leads into a hidden canyon with its year-round spring to Clayton's Overlook Trail, which provides a 360-degree hilltop view and a Geology Exhibit to the Outer Loop Trail with its Quarry View. Inside the fenced Botanical Gardens is a 1/2 mile winding path that features native plants of the Trans-Pecos region. You'll also discover the Pollinator Garden & Overlook, the Scenic Loop Trail, a Native Grasses exhibit, and the Maxie Templeton Cactus Museum Collection with over 200 species and subspecies of Chihuahuan Desert cacti. There's a Bird Blind with a 30 ft. long water feature, Mining Heritage Exhibit, the Powell Visitor Center & Gift Shop. Adults: $6.50 each; Children 12 and under: Free See more..
   
5. 4.5 Davis Mountain Scenic Loop (111 reviews)
   - Awesome landscape
   Scenic Drives
   
   
   Coming up from Marfa, we made a left turn onto Texas 166, which winds first west and then north. A right turn at Texas 118 sends you back to Fort Davis. The loop is roughly 75 miles in length, and at a leisurely pace with occasional stops for taking photos will take about 2 hours. If you plan on having a picnic or taking a hike, add more time accordingly. The scenery is majestic, and as is always the case in the desert, best viewed in the early morning or late afternoon, when the play of light and shadow across the landscape is at its most dramatic. Of course, you will want to take the usual precautions when traversing a barren stretch of real estate: start out with a full tank of gas, and have plenty of water on hand. See more..
   
6. 4.5 Jeff Davis County Library (11 reviews)
   - Nice Selection of Videos
   Spent < 1 hour Libraries
   
   
   I enjoy visiting libraries, but we stopped at this one because we wanted to check out a couple of DVDs to watch in our camper. For such a small town, the library has a very good selection of books and dvds. Even though I have library cards from two libraries at home, I was not able to check anything out. However, the librarian told me about the TexShare Card which I can get at my home library. It will allow me to check out materials at participating libraries in Texas. After returning home, I got the card at my local library, so I'll be able to borrow books at other locations. I don't know if residents of other states would be able to take advantage of this program or not, but for Texas residents with a library card, this can come in handy when visiting out of the way places. See more..
   
7. 4.5 Madera Canyon Hiking Trail (11 reviews)
   - Pack a Picnic
   Spent 2-3 hours Hiking Trails
   
   
   The Madera Canyon Hiking Trail is located next to a road side park, pack a lunch. The hike is easy and the scenery is beautiful. See more..
   
8. 4.0 Pioneer Cemetery (3 reviews)
   - Way cooler than we thought!
   Cemeteries
   
   
   Far more graves than we expected. Many graves are simply marked with an iron cross. Interesting history related to the area and the people who lived here. Worth a visit! See more..