Get in Gear for National Bike Month With These 5 Rides Around Texas
May 3, 2022 | By Ian Dille
I’ve ridden bikes and written about riding bikes all over the world, but there’s no place I prefer to pedal more than here in Texas.
Davis Mountains
Spring Into Action with Day Drives to the Davis Mountains, Rio Grande Valley, and Edwards Plateau
April 2, 2021 | By Joe Nick Patoski
Whether you’re a Texas history buff or a fan of cowboy culture or an explorer of high-mountain peaks, these spring road trips are just what you need to get away for a day and visit parts of the state you may not normally think of for one-day excursions.
The Daytripper’s Top 5 in the Davis Mountains
October 31, 2019 | By Chet Garner
When it’s time to ditch the phone, the Netflix queue, and civilization in general, then it’s time to head west to the Davis Mountains. One of Texas’ three sky islands, this majestic range rises from the desert floor, creating a postcard-worthy panorama in every direction.
Tracking Elusive Mountain Lions in the Mountains of West Texas
April 25, 2019 | By Asher Elbein
The cat has been gone for hours by the time Bert Geary comes upon the footprint. He sees it as our utility-terrain vehicle bounces over a rough ridgeline trail, the wind gusting over golden grass, heavy and cool with incoming August rain. The tracks are perhaps 5 inches across, clear and distinct. “It’s too big to be a bobcat,” Geary says, swinging out of the vehicle to examine it. “I think that’s a mountain lion. Young one, too. Maybe 60 pounds.”
Scale Five Peaks in One Week on This Epic West Texas Road Trip
November 1, 2018 | By Matt Joyce
A mile or two into my hike to the top of Mount Livermore in the Davis Mountains, I stepped to the side of the trail as two speedsters overtook me on the uphill slope. “I guess that’s where we’re headed,” I said, nodding to a rocky outcrop on the horizon far above. “Nope,” one of them responded. “Baldy Peak is beyond that—you can’t see it yet.”
Take 3 History-Packed Hikes in the Davis Mountains
October 29, 2018 | By
The Davis Mountains have long attracted people seeking respite from the surrounding deserts of West Texas. Delivered as magma from volcanic activity some 35 million years ago, the mountains harbor patches of “sky island” known for relatively moist forested hillsides, cooler temperatures, and spartan beauty. To explore the Davis range’s cultural past and natural marvels, head to the highest town in Texas—Fort Davis, at 5,050 feet—and hit the trail. Or better yet, hit three trails.
Travel Is About Allowing Ourselves the Freedom to Live in the Moment
October 25, 2018 | By
My clearest memories of travel from my childhood tend to recall the simple moments. The start of vacation was always the same—my dad carrying me out to my grandparents’ motor home before dawn and settling me into the bed above the cab. When I woke up, we’d be well on our way, and I’d relish watching the road unfold in front of me from my new vantage point. Other highlights come back to me in blurs: collecting pine cones with my brother, playing cards with my mom, and listening to my dad’s scary stories before we drifted off to sleep each night.
These 10 Texas Nature Conservancy Preserves Offer Public Access—and Plenty of Awe-Inspiring Sights
March 20, 2018 | By Pam LeBlanc
Waltz across Texas and you’ll find coastal marshes where alligators lurk, spring-fed pools in the middle of the desert, and green-blue creeks sandwiched between cypress-lined banks.
Horse Sense
May 21, 2014 | By Clayton Maxwell
Old Gonzo doesn’t want to trot. At first we thought it was because he didn’t like walking behind Chili Bean, my daughter’s horse, who apparently is suffering mild gastrointestinal woes.
A New Dawn in the Davis Mountains
April 13, 2014 | By E. Dan Klepper
Dawn has just broken above the new Davis Mountains State Park wildlife-viewing station, an L-shaped timber and stucco structure with peek-a-boo portals overlooking a water feature, and birds are everywhere.
Galaxy Quest
January 9, 2013 | By E. Dan Klepper
The summit of Mount Locke, home to McDonald Observatory, pokes into a particularly isolated patch of the rural West Texas sky, making it a very dark place to be on a moonless night.
Davis Mountains Scenic Loop
October 15, 2012 | By Larry McGinnis
From a distance, West Texas’ Davis Mountains float above the Chihuahuan Desert like a smoky mirage.
