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Texas 17
| Texas 17 North |
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SH 17 and SH 118 share a small overlap through Fort Davis. The Fort Davis National Historic Site is along SH 17/118 within the town. The fort is a very well preserved example of 19th century fortifications against Mexican incursions and Native Americans. Photo taken 07/04/08. |
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Just north of town, the state highways split. Photo taken 07/04/08. |
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Two busy attractions, Davis Mountains State Park and the McDonald Observatory sit along SH 118 north of the town. Photo taken 07/04/08. |
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SH 118 and SH 17 both eventually make their way to IH 10, and both control points here are along that interstate. There is no indication of IH 10 here in town, however. Photo taken 07/04/08. |
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SH 17 and SH 118 split here, with Scobee Mountain in the background. Photo taken 07/04/08. |
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SH 17 leaves Fort Davis northbound and heads toward IH 10. This is the main route from the county seat of Jeff Davis County to IH 10 eastbound. As it leaves town, it follows Limpia Creek. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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| SH 17 follows the creek into Limpia Canyon, as it begins to climb along the eastern edges of the Davis Mountains. Hills here, the much larger mountains sit about 20 miles to the west. Photos taken 07/05/08. |
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An SH 17 northbound reassurance marker just north of Limpia Canyon. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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Wild Rose Pass takes SH 17 over the hump of the eastern side of the Davis Mountains. Legend has it that in 1859 a band of Mescalero Apaches robbed and killed the driver of a mail coach running through the pass. The Apaches became so enamored with the fanciful illustrations in the captured newspapers and magazines that they allowed themselves to be caught by pursuing soliders. However, the soldiers killed 14 of the Indians and they forever believed afterwards that pictures were bad luck and avoided them at all costs. The pass has an elevation of about 4,300 feet, which is 900 feet lower than the surrounding peaks. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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| Star Mountain forms the backdrop of the scene as SH 17 continues north from Wild Rose Pass. The mountain is more of a plateau that rises to an elevation of 6,344 feet. Its slopes support populations of ponderosa pine, Arizona Cypress, Aspens, and Douglas fir trees. Photos taken 07/05/08. |
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The speed limit remains at 70 mph on the two lane road as passing lanes open up past the mountains. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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| Kaiser Peak and the Cole Hills form the backdrop for SH 17 as it heads west and then north in northern Jeff Davis County. Large mountains sit to either side of SH 17, however the view ahead is generally flat. Photos taken 07/05/08. |
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The first numbered route encountered past Fort Davis is here at Ranch Road 1832. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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RR 1832 is a short spur route that runs west to a campground and through several ranches. The entire route is about 11 miles long. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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An SH 17 northbound reassurance marker past RR 1832. The state highway has left the mountains for good here, although the horizon is filled with them. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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Balmorhea, and IH 10, is only 11 miles distance. Pecos sits along IH 20 and is further down the state highway. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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SH 17 enters the Permian Basin here as it leaves the Davis Mountains. The basin once formed the backbone of the Texas oil industry and is still an important region for energy production. Its major cities are Midland and Odessa. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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SH 17 enters Reeves County south of Balmorhea. The county has a population of about 13,000 and was named after Confederate Colonel George R. Reeves. The county seat, at Pecos, is still about 50 miles north of here.
Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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The first stop after Fort Davis comes here at FM 3078. Rumble strips provide added impetus to the stop. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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Van Horn is the control point for FM 3078 westbound, the town that sees the western end of US 90. FM 3078 began life as US 290, but was reduced to FM status after that US highway was truncated due to the construction of IH 10. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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SH 17 traffic can continue north to IH 10 which is only a few miles to the north. Turning left here will take motorists to IH 10 west and eventually to El Paso. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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Balmorhea only has a few hundred people and no discernable business activity. The town began in 1906 as a place of reliable water in the desert, due to a spring. It was named after its three developers: Balcum, Moore, and Rhea. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
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SH 17 meets BL 10 in town, and continues multiplexed with the business loop as they both head north. Photo taken 07/05/08. |
Page Updated August 24, 2008.
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