Set in the rugged beauty of the Davis Mountains of west Texas, Fort Davis is one of America's best surviving examples of an Indian Wars' frontier military post in the Southwest. 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 the Chihuahua Trail, and to control activities on the southern stem of the Great Comanche War Trail and Mescalero Apache war trails.

Fort Davis is important in understanding the presence of African Americans in the West and in the frontier military because the 24th and 25th U.S. Infantry and the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry, all-black regiments established after the Civil War, were stationed at the post.

Today, twenty-four roofed buildings and over 100 ruins and foundations are part of Fort Davis National Historic Site. Five of the historic buildings have been refurnished to the 1880s, making it easy for visitors to envision themselves being at the fort at the height of its development.

Fort Davis National Historic Site was authorized as a unit of the National Park System in 1961.

 Directions 

Plane - Airport facilities for private airplanes are available at Marfa (20 miles) and Alpine (25 miles). Commercial air service is available from Midland-Odessa (160 miles) and El Paso (200 miles).

Car - The park can be reached from Interstate Highway 10 (via Texas highways 17 or 118) or US Highway 90 (via Texas highways 17 or 118).

Public Transportation - No public transportation is available.