Davis Mountains Scenic Loop

The Davis Mountains rise like an island from the Chihuahuan Desert, offering Texas’s most dramatic high desert terrain. This loop connects paved highways with maintained gravel roads through the heart of these volcanic peaks, passing the historic Fort Davis National Historic Site and climbing toward Mount Livermore at 8,378 feet. The route includes sections of Highway 118 and county roads that wind through oak and pine forests unusual for West Texas, with sweeping views across the desert basin toward Mexico.

This is an easy scenic drive suitable for any high-clearance vehicle, though some gravel sections can be washboarded after storms. Spring and fall offer the best conditions, with summer temperatures reaching over 100°F in the desert below while staying cooler in the mountains. The McDonald Observatory provides a perfect overnight stop, and several primitive camping areas exist along the route. Fuel up in Fort Davis before starting—this is remote country with long stretches between services, but the payoff is some of Texas’s most unexpected mountain scenery.