Texas Park Road 3

Park Road 3
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length: 1.160 mi[1] (1.867 km)
Existed: 1933 – present
Major junctions
West end: Indian Lodge, Davis Mountains State Park
East end: SH 118
Location
Counties: Jeff Davis
Highway system

Highways in Texas
Interstate • U.S. • TX (Loops – Spurs – Rec – FM)

← PR 2 PR 4 →

Texas Park Road 3 or PR 3 is a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) road maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) that serves Davis Mountains State Park and connects facilities within the park to State Highway 118 near Fort Davis. The road was constructed in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The route is located within Jeff Davis County.

The route includes all roads and drives within the park including a 2.8-mile (4.5 km) branch road, Texas Park Road 3A or Skyline Drive that, although shielded distinctively, is not designated by TxDOT as a separate road within the state highway system.

Contents

History

In 1924, the Texas Legislature directed the State Parks Board, a predecessor agency to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, to consider establishing a major destination park within the Davis Mountains. After the parks board failed to receive appropriations or donated land for a new park, the Legislature then instructed the State Highway Department, which preceded TxDOT, to build a Davis Mountains State Park Highway in 1927. Landowners finally agreed to donate land for the park in 1933 to boost the local economy devastated by the Great Depression. With the creation of the park, a state park highway was no longer necessary, and that highway initially became SH 166.[2]

Construction of PR 3 began in 1933 soon after the establishment of the state park. Like the park, the road was originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps.[3] The road at this time consisted of the main route between the park entrance and Indian Lodge.

In 1939, SH 118 was extended from Fort Davis to Kent over the portion of SH 166 at the terminus of PR 3.[4] The state ended the SH 166 designation over that same portion in 1941.[5]

Although PR 3A was also constructed in 1933, it was initially a rugged, unpaved road and was not incorporated into the state highway system until 1965.

Route description

PR 3's 1.2-mile (1.9 km)[1] main road begins at Indian Lodge within the park. After an initial sharp curve with a steep downward grade, the road winds east through Keesey Canyon. Several drives branch off as loops accessing campsites, staff residences, and other park facilities before the road reaches the juncture with PR 3A[6] 0.7 miles (1.1 km) from Indian Lodge. The road then continues another 0.5 miles (0.8 km) to the park headquarters at the terminus at SH 118.[7]

Park Road 3A

Park Road 3A
Location: Davis Mountains State Park
Length: 2.8 mi[1] (4.5 km)
Existed: 1965–present

PR 3A, also called Skyline Drive, does not have its own TxDOT highway designation file, but is instead included as part of PR 3. Despite this, PR 3A has suffixed road shields distinguishing it from PR 3.

The road begins at PR 3 and crosses Keesey Creek before turning east in Keesey Canyon. Like PR 3, the road also has connecting drives acting as loops and cul-de-sacs to campgrounds and park facilities. After leaving the campground, the road begins steeply ascending the ridge between Keesey and Hospital canyons on a climb requiring several switchbacks. The road connects with drives to scenic overlooks, picnic tables, and trail heads before terminating after 2.8 miles (4.5 km)[1] at a scenic overlook and trail head at the boundary between the park and Fort Davis National Historic Site.[6][7]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Jeff Davis County.

Location Mile[7] Destinations Notes
Davis Mountains State Park 0 Indian Lodge Western terminus
0.7 PR 3A (Skyline Drive)
1.2 SH 118 – Fort Davis, Kent Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Beyond its terminus with Park Road 3, Park Road 3A does not intersect any other highway.

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ a b c d Texas Department of Transportation. "Highway Designation File - Park Road No. 3". http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/PR/PR0003.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-13. 
  2. ^ "TPWD Park: Davis Mountains State Park". The Look of Nature: Designing Texas State Parks During the Great Depression. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. http://texascccparks.org/parks/davis-mountains/. Retrieved 2009-12-22. 
  3. ^ Klepper, E. Dan (October 2006). "Sky Island". Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2006/oct/ed_1/. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
  4. ^ Texas Department of Transportation. "Highway Designation File - State Highway No. 118". http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/SH/SH0118.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-22. 
  5. ^ Texas Department of Transportation. "Highway Designation File - State Highway No. 166". http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/SH/SH0166.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-22. 
  6. ^ a b Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Davis Mountains State Park (Map) (2009 ed.). http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_p4501_004d.pdf. Retrieved 2009-12-22. 
  7. ^ a b c Google, Inc. Google Maps – Route of Park Road 3 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=30.596089,-103.934732+to:State+Hwy+P3+Park+Rd&hl=en&geocode=FZvM0gEdVfLN-Q%3B%3BFeLp0gEdVCrO-Q&mra=mi&mrcr=0,1&mrsp=1&sz=17&sll=30.595236,-103.93223&sspn=0.00422,0.006888&ie=UTF8&ll=30.59725,-103.932638&spn=0.016882,0.027552&z=15. Retrieved 2009-12-12. 
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