Hiking the Sky Islands of Fort Davis: Your next Stone Village Tourist Camp Adventure

Five o’clock on Thursday and you’ve had it! Done. Kapoot! You are absolutely beat down from the weather: hot, humid, and lately when it rains, it floods. All you want to do is hike, bike, and breathe fresh Davis Mountain air, right? Good news awaits as your best bet for clean, affordable accommodations is just a few hours away in Fort Davis, Texas!

The perfect getaway for outdoor adventure is Stone Village Tourist Camp at 509 North State Street. www.stonevillagetouristcamp.com

Nestled among the Sky Islands of Jeff Davis County and just a few hours west of the Hill Country at 5000’ feet above stress level, Stone Village Tourist Camp offers the best respite from traffic, humidity, crowds and boredom. (call for booking assistance: 432-426-3941)

If your goal is deep emersion into fresh air, cooler evenings, magnificent views and stunning night skies, then you have found your “personal space” at Stone Village Tourist Camp.

Hiking, climbing, biking, swimming in the largest spring-fed pool in North America, (Balmorhea State Park) star gazing, good food and great camaraderie are the ingredients necessary for the perfect West Texas adventure!

The one thing needed when hitting the trails, climbing the rocks, or swimming is nourishment! Stone Village Market, 507 North State Street, on the property of Stone Village Tourist Camp is the killer app for getting those calories and expending them in a most healthy fashion!

Stone Village Market located at 507 North State St., next door to Stone Village Tourist Camp, provides a full service deli, great variety of chips, snacks, drinks and great service at affordable prices. A custom made sliced bread sandwich, (choice of side) drink, baked good and chips runs less than an average meal at a fast food eatery almost anywhere! Many of the offerings from Stone Village Market are healthy, vegan and best of all, good for you.

When planning your trip, Stone Village Tourist Camp and Market wants to offer a bit of advice. Always bring more than enough water (fill your camel back), some salty snacks, good footwear for rugged terrain, appropriate clothing (ladies, don’t hike while wearing a romper) sufficient head cover, minor first-aide kit if available and a great attitude!

When venturing out of doors in the Davis Mountains, there are multiple venues offering some of the best trails in the state, ranging from leisurely, to semi-strenuous.

Fort Davis National Historic Site, a short distance from Stone Village Tourist Camp, is literally within walking distance!  The Fort Davis Historic Site   has three trails that traverse over North Ridge Mountain: Long Grass and Cemetery, Hospital Canyon and the Switchbacks. 

Long Grass/Cemetery are a bit over a mile and link up with the other two trails at the top. The trail, with moderate elevation changes, takes the hiker up to the top where the Overlook is situated. Be sure to take advantage of the overlooks viewing Hwy. 118 winding through the strands of deep green cottonwoods that adorn Limpia Creek,through beautiful Limpia Canyon! The other fork of the trail, Cemetery, takes the hiker to the actual cemetery, where deceased soldiers were once interred.

Hospital Canyon, winds along the base of North Ridge and winds up to the top of the mountain. Be sure to allow plenty of time for exploring the history and architecture of the camp hospital. Very interesting stories of the soldiers various illnesses contracted while on duty. Once on top of North Ridge, hikers are literally walking over ancient lava flows that formed this and the area’s mountains over millions of years!

Switchback trail is moderately strenuous as it is literally stairsteps for the first 500 feet, but is also the most direct route to the top. A good challenge for a healthy hiker.

There are interpretive signs all along each trail pointing out various species of flora, origins of the geological formations (the mountain is a lava formed extrusion)and other interesting points of interest. Elevation at the top is right at one mile high!(5220’)

The Davis Mountain State Park, approximately four miles on U.S. Highway 118 North, or for a crisp four mile out and back walk, there is a trail that runs from the national historic site to the interpretive center of the state park; Either way, a short distance from Stone Village Tourist Camp. The trails vary in length and difficulty. The aviary blind, located at the park interpretive center, is a favorite for birders and photographers. One may observe several different species in their natural habitat. Other wildlife observable are mule deer and javelinas. 

Consult with the Park’s staff and be sure to obtain a map when checking in at the front gate. There is an entrance fee. The Indian Lodge and Blackbear, recently renovated are open to the public.

Madera Canyon Trail at the Texas Nature Conservancy’s Livermore Preserve, is a two plus mile trail, some parts moderately strenuous. The trailhead is located about ten miles past the U.T. McDonald Observatory, adjacent to the Lawrence E. Woods park.

The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center is another “must see!” with excellent living interpretive, beautiful botanical gardens, a cacti nursery and trails that will lead you to through canyons only to be seen from the vantage offered by the Nature Center.

The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert in North America and home to exclusive species of flora, fauna and game. The center, an actual research facility, is a research center working with Borderlands Research Institute of Sul Ross State University, main campus, Alpine Texas. The featured trail at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center is the Modesta Canyon trail: the hiker is treated to two very different geological formations literally side by side. Modesta canyon is also home to it’s very own crawfish and sports Madrone trees, usually found above a mile in elevation. A true gem!

Beside hiking in the Davis Mountains, other outdoor adventures for the two wheeled trekker involve U.S. Highway 118, dubbed one of the top five rides in Texas, by Ride Texas publication. When proceeding north from Stone Village Tourist Camp, 118 will split into rural road 166. The Scenic Loop is the state’s first “Million Dollar Highway” which was opened in the late 50’s and runs through some of the most unique mountain scenery in all of Texas!

Stone Village Tourist Camp is your source of West Texas Adventure! Another convenient fact is that Fort Davis and Stone Village Tourist Camp are three hours from two other national parks: Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe National Park.

For more information, call Stone Village Tourist Camp direct, (432-426-3941)or go online to www.stonevillagetouristcamp.com. 

Happy Trails!