Two state parks are again open for visitors: Possum Kingdom State Park and Davis Mountains State Park. Both of these popular state parks re-opened in May after springtime wildfires roared through. Possum Kingdom facilities were saved from the massive fire that burned 90% of the 1500-acre park and also saved from the more recent August fires. Wildfire burned 675 acres within the 2700-acre Davis Mountains State Park, but missed camping facilities and the historic Indian Lodge.

It’s encouraging to know that wildfire generally renews wild lands. Park visitors have a chance to see nature’s amazing recovery process and to learn more about fire’s benefits to wildlife and habitat.

We owe a heartfelt thank you to state and federal firefighters who fought valiantly – and continue to fight – to protect people and property.

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The tiniest of all birds descend on Texas every Spring as they migrate northward.  18 species of hummingbirds have been identified in Texas with 9 being common.  The greatest variety are found in West Texas.  The Davis Mountains and Chisos Mountains areas are great places to observe the black-chinned hummingbird, the black feathers on his throat catching the light and flashing a beautiful royal purple as the rapid beat of his tiny wings, up to 80 times a second produces the hum these birds are named for.  East of Interstate 35 including where we live in the Dallas/Forth Worth area the ruby-throated hummingbird is common.  To prepare your own hummingbird food mix 1 part sugar with 4 parts water.  Bring the water to a boil, stir in the sugar, boil 2-3 minutes until sugar is dissolved and let cool.  Never substitute honey for the sugar.  It is toxic to the birds.  Red food coloring is not necessary.  The hummers feed every 10-15 minutes so you can expect a lot of activity at your feeder especially during migration.  It is recomended that  Texans leave their feeders up year round as some birds spend the winter in Texas.  At night they go into a hibernation like state called a torpor and arouse from it quickly as necessary.  The hummingbirds northward migration is timed to the blooming of certain flowers.  Many of them travel 2.500 miles from Mexico to Alaska. resting in South Texas after flying 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico.  If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden choose native plants of bright color with tubular shaped flowers.  25 percent of the hummingbird diet consists of insects so choose plants for your garden that attract insects as well.   When you are camping at Davis Mountains State Park in West Texas or Big Bend National Park set up your hummingbird feeder in a nearby tree and enjoy these tiny birds as they hover, fly up and down then backwards putting on one of nature’s greatest shows.

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The javelina is not really a pig but a member of their own family, the peccary.   Only one of the three different species is found in the United States, the collared peccary or javelina.  (have ah lee nah)  In Spanish javelina means spear or sword, referring to the tusk like sharp, cutting canine teeth  Adults weigh up to 60 lbs and are black and gray with a lighter colored collar.  Youths are reddish to yellow brown.  In Texas the javelina are mostly found in the arid regions of West Texas or the brush country of South Texas.  They travel a tight range of usually less than one mile in small herds sleeping in caves and feeding on grasses, mesquite beans, fruits, insects and their favorite food, prickly pear cactus which supplies at least half of their food requirement and most of their water needs.  They will forage for food in campgrounds.  Tent campers in Big Bend National Park are often advised to partially break camp and leave their tents flat on the ground for the day while they explore the park to prevent javelinas from raiding and tearing into tents and supplies.  At the nearby Davis Mountains State Park the javelinas make the rounds of the campground at dawn and dusk rooting around for food.  As with all wild animals people should not feed them.  They are rarely agressive towards humans unless cornered however they will cripple or kill an approaching dog who perhaps reminds the javelina of the coyote who preys on their young.  When they come around you will probably smell them before you actually see them due to a musk gland on top of the rump releasing a strong odor especially if alarmed.  They have poor eye sight but excellent hearing.  If they stay and rummage around your campsite you can scare them off with loud noises.  They are very vocal and good runners.  They may snort, squeal and whoof as they take off at speeds up to 21 mph.  In Texas javelinas are game animals and may be hunted with  a license during hunting season.  Other predators include bobcats, coyotes and mountain lions.

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We drove out to Big Bend National Park for the day while we were camped at Fort Davis State Park.  You may ask what you can do in Big Bend National Park if you are only going to be there for the day and the drive to get there is 150 miles each way.  The answer is not a whole lot however we did have a purpose for the side trip.  We have signed up to volunteer at Chisos Basin Visitor Center for three months in the summer of 2009 so we wanted to check out where we would be working and living.  We drove from Fort Davis on Hwy 118, through Alpine and on to Terlingua and Study Butte to the entrance on the west side of Big Bend National Park.  We stopped in at the Panther Junction Visitor Center first then headed up the 6 mile narrow windy road to Chisos Basin with it’s sharp curves and steep grades.  The visitor center is small but interesting with exhibits and items for sale.  The campground is nothing more than a rocky outcrop.  At 5,400 ft above sea level the summer weather is pleasant and it is of course surrounded by the magnificent Chisos Mountains however the camping spaces are small, not level and have no amenities.  (By this I mean water and or electricity.)  There is a comfort station with flush toilets but no showers.  There is a sink for dishwashing only. Trailers up to 20 ft are allowed however this campground is really best suited for the tent camper.  There is a campground host site with full hook ups (they frequently have openings for campground hosts) however this site was also rocky, not level and no shade.

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Visit our Davis Mountains State Park photo gallery

At a mile above sea level Davis Mountains State Park is the coolest place to be in the hot Texas summer.  The Davis Mountains, the most extensive mountain range in Texas were formed by volcanic activity 65 million years ago.  Located in Jeff Davis County, 1 mile north of the town of Fort Davis on Texas 17 then 3 miles west on Texas 118 the 2,700 acres of the Davis Mountains State Park offers great family fun.  There are 9 miles of hiking and nature trails, one of which connects with a trail to the Fort Davis National Historic Site, a mountain bike trail, an equestrian trail as well as Skyline Drive, a scenic mile high drive especially popular for star gazing.  Birders will be kept busy with the wide variety of species living in the park.  We observed mockingbirds, cardinals and an oriole right from our campsite.  We filled a hummingbird feeder twice in one week to satisfy the hungry demand of these tiny birds.  Wildlife viewing is also a treat.  In the early evenings mule deer make the rounds of the campground and will fearlessly approach to see if you will offer them a handout.  It is illegal to feed any wildlife in the park so please don’t do it.  A ringtail (often referred to as a cat but actually a member of the raccoon family) silently made his way by our campsite early one night.  Skunks and raccoons frequently check the dumpsters.  Javelinas (pig-like animals) hurry though in large packs, young in tow to see what they can forage.  We observed a family of the elusive Montezuma Quail scurry across the road one afternoon, the young bouncing along after the adults like ping pong balls.  Jackrabbits may be spotted sprinting through open areas.  After a hard rain the red velvet mite emerged in numbers from it’s underground tube to hunt for insects only to disappear as the rain moved out.  Campsites are full hook-ups, water and electric or water only.  There is a 4 mile (minimum) hike -in camping area offering primitive tent sites.  Access to this area is up a mountain with an 800 ft elevation change.  Primitive equestrian sites are also available with 10 miles of back country hiking trails to explore.  An interpretive center is open daily from 2P-4P and an amphitheater offers programs on the weekends.  The 27 sites with electric, water and sewer are divided into two loops.  Sites #1-16 are situated on a level loop while #17-27 are on a hillside loop.  Most of the sites have shade, a covered picnic table and a fire ring.  We stayed in site #14 which was large and fairly level.  On this loop sites #11-16 face a hillside while #1-11 partially face another camping loop.  On the hillside loop site #22 looks nice and level and faces a trail  Most of the 34 water and electric sites offer some shade.  A few are large enough for a trailer but most are better suited for tents or pop-up trailers.  There are also 33 water only sites for tent camping.  This is a popular park in the summer so be sure to make a reservation in advance.  Warning!  Do not leave your pets unattended as the javelinas have been known to attack and on occasion kill dogs or cats.  The Indian Lodge, an historic Pueblo Style full service hotel built by the CCC between 1933-1935 is in the park.  In the area is the Fort Davis National Historic Site, one of our country’s best preserved frontier forts.  13 miles west of the park is the University of Texas McDonald Observatory one of the major astronomical research facilities in the world.  It is open daily and offers solar viewings, guided tours and star parties.  The nearby Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center hosts botanical gardens, a greenhouse, gift shop and hiking trails.  And finally, a 74-mile scenic loop (State Hwy’s 118 and 166) winds through grassland basins, canyons and woodlands of the Davis Mountains dotted with pine, juniper and oak.  Interesting Fact:  The Davis Mountains are named after Jefferson Davis, U.S. Secretary of War and later President of the Confederacy.

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