Way Out West Texas: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center

FORT DAVIS, Texas (KOSA) - From people and plants, to scenery and wildlife, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center near Fort Davis has all of those things and more. Nestled in the Davis mountains on 507 acres, there are hiking trails, botanical gardens and a variety of wildlife.

Lisa Gordon, the executive director at the nature center, said their mission is educating people about what the land has to offer.

“We want people to know there is a lot of life inside this desert, and we think if people just get out and hike or come to the garden it’s something possibly different than they do at home and they have a chance to appreciate nature,” Gordon said.

The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert in North America with parts in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Mexico. It is also the most biologically diverse desert in the Western Hemisphere.

There is a cactus greenhouse at the nature center that has around 200 different species and subspecies of Chihuahuan Desert cacti.

“It’s one of the world’s largest collections of Chihuahuan Desert cacti,” Gordon said, “and at the end of February and through May they’ll be flowering and blooming in there and it’s spectacular.”

They offer various programs at the nature center throughout the year for schools and students. The programs act as a continuation to what students are learning in the classroom.

“We expand on it so kids get the full experience here and you can’t do that in a classroom,” Gordon said.

The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center is a gem in far West Texas that Gordon said many people don’t realize is right in their backyard.

“Just the experience of being out in nature, people are not expecting. This little bird up here chirping away, you almost feel like you’re in a different world,” Gordon said.

Gordon said the best time to visit is the spring and summer when everything starts to bloom.

Throughout the year, there are different events for people to do, you can visit their website to start planning your next trip way out in West Texas.

Copyright 2023 KOSA. All rights reserved.