The Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas, between Fort Davis and Fort Bliss, was a place of extreme changes that made life hard for the Buffalo Soldiers working there. One day they'd be in a cool, green spring-fed canyon, but the next day they'd be working in a hot, dry desert with salty, flat land. Their animals suffered too, with little grass to eat, scarce water, sharp rocks, and thorny plants. Even though the terrain made their work challenging, the Buffalo Soldiers patrolled and protected the San Antonio-El Paso Road, escorting travelers and mail while facing the harsh desert environment and threats from Native American raiding parties. They showed great strength and courage while doing their essential jobs in this important part of Texas.
Davis Mountains State Park is right next door to history, as today’s parklands were once essential to the operations of Fort Davis. The fort was a major post for Buffalo Soldiers of…
The Franklin Mountains provided the backdrop for Buffalo Soldier action in El Paso, as all four famed regiments, the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry, were stationed at…
Hueco Tanks, with its rock hideouts and life-saving water, was an important spot for Buffalo Soldiers patrolling the far West Texas desert from Fort Bliss in the late 1800s. Troopers from the…
With its white adobe walls, historic aura, and refreshing pool, Indian Lodge is a welcome oasis in West Texas. The lodge, tucked into Davis Mountains State Park, is part of a landscape…
Marker #1330 Text: A station (1854-1882) for the stage coaches and wagon trains of the Overland-Chihuahua trails, which linked the East to the pioneer West, brought heartening mail and passengers, and supplies…
Marker #5295 Text: The natural hot springs in this area have been used for centuries by people seeking curative waters. Known as Indian hot Springs, they were used by generations of nomadic…
Marker #12796 Text: Henry O. Flipper Henry Ossian Flipper (1856-1940) was the first African-American graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1877. Born into slavery in Thomasville, Georgia…
The Big Bend region of Texas, named for a horseshoe curve where the Rio Grande carves canyons into the mountains along the border of the far southwestern portion of the state, is…
THE ROYAL ROAD OF THE INTERIOR At a mere nine miles, the El Paso Mission Trail’s short distance hardly represents the long and vast history found along its route. By following Socorro…
The Salt Flats West of the Guadalupe Mountains lies a stark and striking expanse known as the Salt Flats - remnants of a prehistoric lake that once filled the basin during the…
A FRONTIER DEFENSE The frontier post of Fort Davis, established in 1854 and serving the Texas frontier until 1891, provided a strategic factor in the defense system of the American Southwest. The…
Established by Congress in 1972, Guadalupe Mountains National Park lies along the northern edge of the state’s “boot heel.” sharing a border with New Mexico. The park’s rugged beauty, comprised of a…
Note: Indian Hot Springs is now privately owned. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.The natural hot springs in this area have been used for centuries by…
Victorio’s War In 1879, Apache leader Victorio resisted forced removal from his homeland in New Mexico to the San Carlos Reservation in Arizona. Refusing to surrender, he and his followers launched a…
On August 6, 1880, elements of the 10th U.S. Cavalry (Buffalo Soldiers) and a detachment of the 24th U.S. Infantry engaged Apache forces led by Victorio in the rugged Trans-Pecos region, about…
Or, continue scrolling to view the sites located on this trail segment.
Mountain Trail Region
Hwy 385 Big Bend National Park, TX 79834 (432) 477-2251 Website
Mountain Trail Region
RR 1111 Sierra Blanca, Texas 79851
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16310 Park 3 Rd. Fort Davis, TX 79734 (432) 426-3337 Website
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from Allamoore, about 8 miles southwest along Guest Ranch Road through Hot Wells, toward Eagle Springs Allamoore, Texas 79855
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9065 Alameda Ave El Paso, TX 79907 (915) 292-8516 Website
Mountain Trail Region
101 Lt. Henry Flipper Drive Fort Davis, TX 79734 (432) 426-3224 Website
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1331 McKelligon Canyon Rd El Paso, TX 79930 (915) 566-6441 Website
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400 Pine Canyon Road Guadalupe Station, TX 79847 (915) 828-3251 Website
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3231 E. Wyoming Avenue El Paso, Texas 79903
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6900 Hueco Tanks Road No 1 El Paso, TX 79938 (915) 857-1135 Website
Mountain Trail Region
Located approximately 40 miles north of present-day Van Horn. Van Horn, Texas
Mountain Trail Region
West of State Hwy. 54 in Culberson County Culberson County, Texas