Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
south through the desert on Rte. 17, you'll soon reach Balmorhea State Park, which fea-
turesawelcomeoasis—atwo-acreconcreteswimmingpoolthatwasformedbycontaining
the waters of San Solomon Springs. But the pool's size isn't the only thing that makes it
unusual.Itsbottomfeaturessand,rocks,andnativeaquaticplants,anditswatersteemwith
freshwater fish that are native to the area. Ten different kinds inhabit these waters, includ-
ing green sunfish, silvery Mexican tetras, and two endangered species, the Pecos mosquito
fish and the Comanche Springs pupfish. Thanks to the pool's crystaline water, swimmers,
snorkelers, and divers can observe these creatures at any depth.
Fort Davis National Historic Site, originally designed to protect travelers from raids by Comanches and Apaches, has no
surrounding walls. The knowledge of the soldiers' presence was enough to keep attacks away from the fort itself.
2.
Fort Davis National Historic Site
Water is a very precious resource in western Texas, so it's not surprising at all that, when
theU.S.Armywantedtobuildaforttoprotectwestward-boundpioneersfromIndianraids,
it chose this site on the bank of Limpia Creek. What does come as a surprise to most visit-
ors is the majesty of its setting. Bordering a parade ground that is about 900 feet long, the
fort's restored buildings are silhouetted against the red-rock walls of Hospital Canyon, the
remains of an ancient lava flow.
Mostoftheoriginalwoodenstructures,datingbackto1854,wereburnedtotheground
by Apache raiders when the fort was abandoned during the Civil War. When it was react-
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