205 miles SE of El Paso; 23 miles NE of Alpine; 110 miles NW of Big Bend National Park
A charming small town surrounded by dramatic scenery and steeped in Old West lore, Fort Davis is one of those rare places that can please both city and country types. The town itself is teeming with boutiques and B&Bs, and to the north, outdoors buffs will appreciate Davis Mountains State Park.
The town's origins are tied to Fort Davis, the identically named U.S. Army post established in 1854. The town was initially a ranching center, but the fort's 1891 abandonment and the railroads' decision to bypass the community led to an economic bust. After the fort was designated a National Historic Site in 1961, traffic increased and helped create the tourism-heavy landscape in place today.