Lawrence E. Wood Picnic Area Overnight Parking

This free parking had some nice designated spots to set up camp. The road traffic dies down at night and the sky was completely dark and glowing with stars. The short hike at the site is worth the 2.4 miles. It provides great views and warmed us up after waking to snow and sleet. Although we missed the complete experience in the Davis Mts due to the weather, we wouldn’t hesitate to return to this spot for a night.

This is a beautiful little pull-off at Madera Canyon, not too far from McDonald Observatory. There were a couple of other vehicles there when we arrived but the picnic spots are far enough apart that after parking we never saw anyone else the rest of the night.
There is a great nature trailhead right next to our chosen spot with an easy hike up to the hilltop above. The night sky is breathtaking, and we felt like the only people on earth. The drive onwards into the town of Ft. Davis was very cool, as the original army fort (with many buildings reconstructed) is right on the highway and worth taking time to explore.
We would stay here again!

For those traversing west Texas via I-10 and needing a quiet place to rest, this little gem is almost perfect! As a boondocker, having those places to pull over to sleep is essential. And in Texas on I-10, since there's little to no natural lands set aside for this purpose, that typically means the roadside rest areas (those of you that have done that know it is almost impossible to sleep with all the semi-trucks sliding just 8' outside you window) or a Walmart (noisy as well).

Though this park is 28 miles south of I-10 southward on 118 from Kent, it is certainly worth the extra miles for the beauty and quiet of the Davis Mountains.

Besides being ultra-quiet, this little gem has the added bonus of the McDonald Observatory just 9 miles further southeast on 118. Regularly scheduled star-parties occur on Saturday evenings. On-line reservations are a must.

We camped here to be close to a star party at McDonald Observatory. The sky is realllly dark and great for stargazing. It’s a pull off area and the road is very accessible to any type of vehicle. Each site has a picnic table, grill and trash can. No water or bathrooms on site. Our xterra would have fit at any of the sites, but we also saw sprinter vans and medium sized RVs there. While the camping is very close to the main road, it was quiet at night without much traffic. One other perk is that the 2.5mi Masera Canyon loop leaves right from the day use parking lot.