Texas Park Road 3

Park Road 3 (PR 3) is a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) Park Road located near Fort Davis, in the U.S. state of Texas. The highway connects the Indian Lodge of Davis Mountains State Park to State Highway 118 (SH 118). The entire length of the road is located within the park. The highway was constructed in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and incorporated into the state highway system in 1937 as one of the system's original park roads.

Park Road 3
PR 3 highlighted in red and PR 3A in blue
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length1.160 mi[1] (1.867 km)
ExistedJune 22, 1937[2]–present
Major junctions
East end SH 118 in Davis Mountains State Park
West endIndian Lodge in Davis Mountains State Park
Location
CountiesJeff Davis
Highway system
← FM 3RE 3 →

The highway currently has one suffixed route, Park Road 3A, also known as Skyline Drive. This route is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) long, which is longer than its parent route. The route was designated in 1965.

Route description

PR 3's 1.2-mile (1.9 km)[1] main road begins at SH 118. Immediately after the intersection, PR 3 divides into two one-way roadways separated by the park headquarters and reuniting just beyond.[3] The road then continues westward through Keesey Canyon one-half mile (0.8 km) passing a couple of small hiking trails to the intersection with PR 3A. Beyond PR 3A, several drives branch off as loops accessing campsites, staff residences, and other park facilities. The road makes a sharp curve and a steep upward grade before ending at Indian Lodge 1.2-mile (1.9 km) west of the intersection with PR 3A.[3][4]

History
Planning map for proposed park including roads, 1933

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 the Texas Department of Transportation (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.[5]

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.[6] The road at this time consisted of the main route between the park entrance and Indian Lodge.

On September 22, 1936, the state highway commission initiated an investigation at the request of the state's parks board into the incorporation of certain park roads as part of the state highway system after which the highway commission would assume maintenance of these roads. The highway commission accepted the park road in Davis Mountains State Park and seven other parks as the original park roads in the state system on June 22, 1937.[2]

In 1939, SH 118 was extended from Fort Davis to Kent over the portion of SH 166 at the terminus of PR 3.[7] The state ended the SH 166 designation over that same portion in 1941.[8]

PR 3 in Davis Mountains State Park

Major intersections

The entire highway is in the Davis Mountains State Park, Jeff Davis County.

mi[9]kmDestinationsNotes
1.1601.867 SH 118 – Fort Davis, KentEastern terminus
0.7231.164 PR 3A (Skyline Drive)
0.0000.000Indian LodgeWestern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Park Road 3A

Park Road 3A
LocationDavis Mountains State Park
Length2.529 mi[9] (4.070 km)
Existed1965–present
Marker for PR 3A

Park Road 3A (PR 3A) known as Skyline Drive is a 2.8-mile-long (4.5 km) suffixed spur of PR 3. The road travels from a junction with PR 3 to the border of the state park, and provides access to a hiking trail leading to Fort Davis National Historic Site.[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.[10] The road connects with drives to scenic overlooks, picnic tables, and trail heads before terminating after 2.8 miles (4.5 km) at a scenic overlook and trail head at the boundary between the park and Fort Davis National Historic Site.[3][4]

Park Road 3A was first created by the CCC in 1933, when the state park was built.[6] In 1965, the Texas Department of Transportation numbered the route Park Road 3A.[1]

Major junctions

The entire highway is in the Davis Mountains State Park, Jeff Davis County.

mi[9]kmDestinationsNotes
0.0000.000 PR 3Western terminus
2.3873.842Access to Skyline Drive Trail
2.5294.070Cul-de-sac; hiking trail to Fort Davis National Historic SiteEastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
  •  U.S. Roads portal
  •  Texas portal

References
  1. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Park Road No. 3". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  2. Staff (June 22, 1937). "Minute Order 18341, Minutes of the Two Hundred Thirty-third Meeting of the State Highway Commission" (PDF). Texas State Highway Commission. pp. 11–12. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  3. Davis Mountains State Park (PDF) (Map) (2009 ed.). Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  4. Google (June 5, 2012). "Route of Park Road 3" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
  5. Staff. "Davis Mountains State Park". The Look of Nature: Designing Texas State Parks During the Great Depression. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  6. Klepper, E. Dan (October 2006). "Sky Island". Texas Parks & Wildlife. Austin, TX: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 64 (10). ISSN 0040-4586. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
  7. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 118". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 12, 2009.
  8. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 166". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 12, 2009.
  9. Statewide Planning Map (Map). Cartography by Transportation Planning and Programming Division. Texas Department of Transportation. 2012. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  10. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (2014). Texas County Mapbook (PDF) (Map) (2014 ed.). 1:120,000. Texas Department of Transportation. p. 42. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

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