Site Navigation Arkansas Louisiana Oklahoma New Mexico Texas     Texas 118 Texas 118 North SH 118 heads north from US 90/67 here in Alpine, this view looks north along 5th Street as it heads out of town. SH 118 provides the quickest way from Alpine to access I-10, its nearest interstate. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 118 continues north in Alpine passing Eagle Pass Avenue. Many of the east/west street names in town are named for Texas towns in the western and southern portions of the state. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 223 is the only other state highway in town, and SH 118 meets it on the north side of town. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 118 northbound at SH 223. 223 is an odd state highway for Texas, and is only 1.64 miles long. The route provides a bypass of Alpine to the north and east. It's unclear why SH 223 is not designated as a Loop, and its been around since near the beginning of the state highway system. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 118 is known as the Veterans Highway while in Brewster County. The county is larger than southern New England, but has only a handful of numbered highways. SH 118 is 155 miles long, and has its southbound end at Big Bend National Park. Originally it ran all the way to the Mexican border at Terlingua and north to US 80 at Kent. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 118 passes the US district courthouse and Alpine's Casparis airport here on the north end of the town. Alpine has about 6,000 people and is the largest population center in the Big Bend region, making the airport fairly busy. Until Alaska's statehood in 1959, Alpine was the largest town in the largest county in the largest state in the nation - measured by area of course. Photo taken 07/04/08. The foothills of the Davis Mountains loom ahead north of town. Photo taken 07/04/08. The first reassurance marker north of Alpine is about halfway between the town and the hills. Directly ahead sits Henderson Mesa. Photo taken 07/04/08. Brewster county is left behind here as SH 118 enters Jeff Davis County. The county was formed in 1887 and named for Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The county seat, Fort Davis, was founded earlier and was thus named for Jefferson Davis but when he was the nation's secretary of war. There are also Jefferson Davis Counties in Mississippi and Georgia. The official name of the county, Jeff Davis, was shortened as part of a compromise with Union sympathizers in Texas at the time. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 118 generally follows Musquiz Creek between the range of hills here. Photo taken 07/04/08. RR 1837 is the first and only state road encountered between Alpine and Fort Davis. Photo taken 07/04/08. Camp Mitre (pronounced MITER) is the only control point for the spur that is RR 1837. The camp is a popular destination for girl scout troops. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 118 northbound at RR 1837. The road runs west for 3.3 miles and dead ends at the camp. Photo taken 07/04/08. As SH 118 climbs, this sign indicates a 14 mile distance to the county seat of Fort Davis. Kent, 66 miles away, is the terminus of the state highway and sits along IH 10. Photo taken 07/04/08. After passing through the shadowy Musquiz Canyon, SH 118 emerges here on the Cienega Flat, with the Davis Mountains beyond. Photo taken 07/04/08. Fort Davis maintains a bucolic scene as it sits snug against the hills. The county courthouse and the town water tower are both fairly visible in this scene. Photo taken 07/04/08. The Texas Mountain Trail is one of the state's heritage routes, and follows a circuitous route through the western part of the state from Bend Bend towards the Guadalupe Mountains National Park to the north. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 17 is encountered as the highway enters Fort Davis, and SH 118 has a small overlap. Photo taken 07/04/08. The Davis Mountains Scenic Loop runs north and west of Fort Davis, but begins here. The road reaches almost 7,000 feet, making it the highest state maintained highway in Texas. Photo taken 07/04/08. Marfa, the county seat of Presidio County and the southern end of SH 17 at US 90 is just 21 miles south of Fort Davis. A relative bargain in this region of the country. Photo taken 07/04/08. Fort Davis is generally an old community with old buildings, some of which can be seen in this view. This photo looks west at the beginning of the SH 17/118 overlap. Photo taken 07/04/08. Through Fort Davis, the road is certainly busy with a lot of old heritage buildings and a public square. Sleeping Lion Hill is just behind the town to the north and west. Photo taken 07/04/08. The Fort Davis National Historic Site is also along SH 17/118 in Fort Davis. The fort is a very well preserved example of 19th century fortifications against Mexican incursions and Native Americans. Photo taken 07/04/08. Just north of town, the state highways split. Photo taken 07/04/08. Two busy attractions, Davis Mountains State Park and the McDonald Observatory sit along SH 118 north of the town. Photo taken 07/04/08. 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. SH 17 and SH 118 split here, with Scobee Mountain in the background. Photo taken 07/04/08. A view of SH 118 as it heads north and west from Fort Davis. Photo taken 07/04/08. The Davis Mountains State Park is about halfway between Texas' two national parks. Park Road 3 was established in 1933 along with the park, and is 5 miles long. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 118 northbound at Park Road 3. Park Roads are one of the rarest of Texas myriad state highway designations. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 118 northbound reassurance marker past Park Road 3. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 118 winds through ranch land, with Brown Mountain and Pine Peak beyond in the Davis Mountains. Photo taken 07/04/08. This view looks at the Gavina Ridge towards the west. The state highway generally follows Limpia Creek through here and stays fairly flat. Photo taken 07/04/08. Mount Locke and the McDonald Observatory sit prominently in this view looking north along SH 118. Photos taken 07/04/08. Views looking south from SH 118 in Jeff Davis County. Photos taken 07/04/08. Spur 78 is a whopping 1.5 mile spur route, with no reassurance markers along its route, that runs to the top of Locke Mountain and the observatory. The observatory is popular with tourists and features a large new visitors center with an expensive gift shop. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 118 northbound at Spur 78. Photo taken 07/04/08. This view looks north along SH 118 past Spur 78. The road has a rock barrier on the drop off side, and features some great views. SH 118 continues north from here into the Chihuahuan desert and to IH 10 at Kent. Photo taken 07/04/08. Texas 118 South SH 118 briefly has an overlap with the US highways just east of downtown Alpine. Alpine, Marathon, Marfa, and Fort Davis are all quirkly touristy towns popular with Texans and New Mexicans, but see little tourist traffic from other places. All towns are full of art galleries, local restaurants, and cultural activities. Photo taken 07/04/08. A view of the US highways in Alpine. The "Food Basket", the towns only grocery store, is just on the left here. Photo taken 07/04/08. Marathon, the only other town in Brewster County, is about 30 minutes to the east of here. Fort Stockton and IH 10 is about an hour away. Photo taken 07/04/08. SH 118 leaves here and runs south to the national park. Photo taken 07/04/08. Page Updated August 24, 2008.