Photographer: J. Griffis Smith

A 74-mile loop through the Davis Mountains (from and back to Fort Davis) leads to a host of choice mountain landscapes. Two miles south on Texas 17 take Texas 166 west to intersection with Texas 118, then southeast back to Texas 17 and Fort Davis. Features include nine scenic roadside parks, Mount Locke topped by McDonald Observatory, beautiful Madera Canyon, and Davis Mountains State Park.

El Camino del Rio, Spanish for "The River Road," local name for F.M. 170 that stretches from Lajitas northwest to Presidio and beyond. An excellent paved route, it's one of the most spectacular drives in Texas, plunging down mountains and through canyons along the sun-drenched Rio Grande. Drivers are cautioned that the route encounters steep grades (15 percent), sharp curves, occasional loose livestock, and low-water crossings; special alert for large RVs or vehicles pulling large trailers.