Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site is certainly one of the lesser-known Texas State Parks. Looking for an off the beaten path camping destination that would not be too cold during the Christmas holidays, I stumbled upon the Seminole Canyon in the Lower Pecos River Country of Texas. The Pecos River Canyon area as well as the nearby Devil’s River State Natural Area and Amistad National Recreation Area, boast of well-preserved pictographs and painted images that are set in beautiful canyons.

December 2007-Due to high winds, the visitor center staff recommended that we set up camp in a less exposed area of the park, which offered great privacy and incredible sunset and sunrise views! This was the first time I camped where I could watch the sunset from one side of our camper and watch the sunrise from the other side. We found out the schedule for guided tours of the pictographs and worked out our schedule for the week to include that.

With brisk temperatures still the next day, we opted to drive along Highway 90 across the beautiful Pecos River High Bridge to Langtry to tour a rustic saloon, courtroom, billiard hall and the opera house of Judge Roy Bean, the “Law West of the Pecos” in the 1880’s. There is also a visitor center, which highlights the life of Judge Bean’s career, and a beautiful cactus garden surrounding the area. They do offer reenactments on-site from time to time. This travel information center is operated by the Texas Department of Transportation and is worth a stop!

As the winds had calmed down, we headed the next day to the visitor center for the morning Fate Bell Shelter Pictograph Tour. The tour is a rugged two-mile round trip hike lasting about 90 minutes. The pictographs, among the best preserved of the Pecos River style, are located within a rock shelter with evidence of occupation from over 8000 years ago. Entrance into the canyon is only allowed with a tour guide. Longer guided hikes are offered to the more remote Presa Day area and the Upper Canyon area that include railroad and military history as well. There are other trails located though out the park that can be navigated or biked without a guide.

The following day we drove to the nearby Galloway White Shaman Preserve for their regularly scheduled Saturday tours. The Rock Art Foundation offers numerous tours to the historic sites in the Lower Pecos region. The White Shaman site records the religious principles of the prehistoric inhabitants of the Lower Pecos region. This tour is a strenuous 1.5-mile round trip hike descending into a narrow brushy canyon. The hike offers beautiful views of the canyon as well.

The next morning we departed early to make a two-hour drive to the Devil’s River State Natural area. This is a beautiful drive into a primitive and pristine area of rugged ridges, canyons and grassy banks. This area is mostly known for kayaking and canoeing, since most of the area is unable to be reached by car. At the time we visited the park, they offered guided tours to Dolan Falls, which required a high clearance vehicle to drive though streams. The preserve is not open to the public and can now only be reached by water. The Dolan Falls is considered to be one of the prettiest, but most dangerous fishing waterways in Texas. There are also several guided tours provided in the Devil’s River area for pictographs but my family decided they had seen enough “rock art” on this trip.

With the Seminole Canyon being so close to the Mexico border, we promised our kids an international experience by crossing the border at Del Rio into Ciudad Acuna for some real Mexican food and shopping. Unfortunately, crime has increased in that city and it is unlikely that we would be willing to cross the border there again at this time. We also drove by the Amistad National Recreation Area, which offers a borderland paradise. Amistad is the Spanish word for friendship and the dam provides water-based recreation, and camping, as well as rock art history. The Rock Art Foundation offers guided tours, but the area is only accessible by boat. The visitor center has some excellent exhibits and provides films about the area and the history of the Pecos region.

A drive to the Pecos River area is worthwhile for those who have a love of wide-open desert spaces in Texas, beautiful blue rivers bordered by canyons, and an appreciation for art and history. Seminole Canyon is one of the least visited Texas State Parks but there is something sacred about walking the roads less traveled to have a glimpse into such well preserved painted primitive culture.

“We had no written language to leave you word of our people, but we had art, primitive to you, historical to us, to tell you of our world. “ Jim Zintgraff