Fort Davis: 1800s Frontier Post & Historic Trails | WNPA

Fort Davis

National Historic Site

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Fort Davis is one of the best surviving American Southwest examples of an Indian Wars frontier military post. From 1854 to 1891, Fort Davis was strategically located to protect emigrants, mail coaches, and freight wagons on the Trans-Pecos portion of the San Antonio-El Paso Road and on the Chihuahua Trail.

Stories from Fort Davis

The trails at this Texas site lead to a spectacular overlook of the fort and connect with trails of Davis Mountains State Park. Begin your trip at the visitor center before you hit the trails and learn more about the important history preserved here.

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A two story Victorian home sits on a hill and is surrounded by trees. Two palm trees tower above the front house and are on both sides of the porch.
John Muir: A Passion for Nature We all have legacies that will extend beyond our lifetime. Muir died on December 24, 1914 at age 76, just two years before the establishment of the National Park...
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Explore Fort Davis National Historic Site

Located in southwest Texas, Fort Davis was declared a national historic site on September 8, 1961. One of the best-surviving examples of a frontier military post, the site preserves the history of a turbulent and controversial time in US history. The fort—originally established to protect mail coaches, travelers, and freight wagons on the San Antonio to El Paso Road—began as one of the largest military outposts on the frontier. The Ninth Cavalry, one of the first Black units in the US military, was stationed at Fort Davis from 1867 to 1885. Second Lt. Henry O. Flipper, the first Black graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, was stationed at Fort Davis from 1880 to 1881. Fort Davis National Historic Site is home to 15 species of mammals—including mountain lions, spotted ground squirrels, and gray foxes—and more than 120 species of birds.

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National parks are places where kids can dream up great adventures! Taking in amazing scenery. Testing out new skills. Exploring places kids may have only heard about. But most importantly, creating new memories with friends and family.

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Our public lands are our public commons. They belong to all of us as part of our natural and cultural heritage. They remind us of a larger world that has existed long before the arrival of humans and will survive long after we are gone. –Terry Tempest Williams, Author & Conservationist