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Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site
PO Box 820
Comstock TX 78837
432/292-4464
History: Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site in Val Verde County, west of Comstock, contains 2172.5 acres; the park was acquired by purchase from private owners in 1973 - 1977 and opened in February 1980.
Early man first visited this area 12,000 years ago, a time when now-extinct species of elephant, camel, bison, and horse roamed the landscape. The climate at that time was more moderate than today and supported a more lush vegetation that included pine, juniper, and oak woodlands in the canyons, with luxuriant grasslands on the uplands. These early people developed a hunting culture based upon large mammals, such as the mammoth and bison. No known evidence exists that these first inhabitants produced any rock paintings.
A bronze statue of an Indian shaman
stands just outside the Visitors Center.
By 7000 years ago, the region had undergone a climatic change that produced a landscape much like today's. A new culture appeared in this changed environment. These people were increasingly dependent on gathering wild plants and hunting small animals and less dependent on hunting big game. They lived in small groups since the land would not support larger social units for long periods.
Despite the struggle for survival, some of these prehistoric people found the creative energy to paint the pictographs found in Fate Bell and other rock shelters of the Lower Pecos River Country. The distribution of this distinct style is limited to a district which includes a portion of the Rio Grande, Pecos, and Devils River. More than 200 pictograph sites are known to contain examples of their style of rock paintings ranging from single paintings to caves containing panels of art hundreds of feet long. Although numerous figures or motifs are repeated in different locations, the exact meaning of the paintings is buried with the people who painted them.
The first known European in this area was Castano de Sosa, who set out from Monciova Mexico, in 1590 and traversed much of present Val Verde County en route to New Mexico. The U. S. Army was the first American presence in the Lower Pecos. In 1851, Lieutenant Nathaniel Michler made a reconnaissance of the Rio Grande above and below its junction with the Pecos for the United States and Mexico Boundary Commission. After the Civil War, Lieutenant Bullis and his Seminole-Negro scouts operated in the area, and Bullis blasted a wagon road into the Pecos Canyon near the Rio Grande to provide the military with a shorter route between Forts Clark and Davis.
In 1882, construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad reached the present park location. The route to connect El Paso with San Antonio was begun after the merger of the Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio Railroads with the Southern Pacific. The section of railroad in the canyon of the Rio Grande was finally abandoned in 1892, when a new bridge spanning the entire breadth of the Pecos River Canyon was completed. The present bridge was built at the same site during World War II.
A tour group inside the Fate Bell Shelter.
Activities: Hiking, mountain biking, camping, historical study, and nature/interpretive attractions are enjoyed. Fate Bell Shelter, in the canyon, contains some of North America's oldest Indian pictographs and is one of the oldest cave dwellings in North America. Note: No hiking is allowed in the canyon area without a guide (Contact the park for more information.)
Tours: The Fate Bell Shelter Tour is held daily Wednesday through Sunday. From June 1st through August 31st the Fate Bell Tour will be held at 10 a.m. only. From September 1st through May 31st the Fate Bell Shelter Tours will begin at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The Fate Bell Shelter Tour involves a fairly-rugged hike to the bottom of the canyon and then up to the shelter to view many good examples of American Indian rock paintings in Fate Bell Shelter. Park staff & volunteers with the private, nonprofit Rock Art Foundation conduct tours of the Fate Bell Shelter, continuing the group's history of support for the site. The shelter is a huge cliff overhang containing some of the state's most spectacular American rock paintings.
Watch
YouTube video of the Park.- Check the Calendar for events and access restrictions scheduled within the next 3 months.
- More Information on outdoor activities from the Experience Texas page.
Area Attractions: Parks in the area include Devils River State Natural Area, Kickapoo Cavern State Park, Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area, Fort Lancaster State Historic Site, Lake Amistad and the Amistad National Recreation Area. The cities of Del Rio and Ciudad Acuña or also nearby.
Campsites & Other Facilities: Facilities include the park interpretive center, with exhibits relating to the history of the canyon area; a restroom with showers; primitive campsites (no utilities); campsites with water; campsites with water and electricity; picnic sites; and 8 miles of multi-use trails for hiking and mountain biking; and .6 miles of nature/interpretive trails; a Texas State Park Store; and a trailer dump station.
Wireless internet access (Wi-Fi) is available in some areas of the park for visitors to use. Please check with the park for details. Listing of State Parks with wireless internet access.
- Fees
- Map
of Park
(PDF 197.6 KB)
Natural Features: Diverse flora and fauna throughout the park include white-tailed deer, raccoons, armadillos, and squirrels. There is sparse vegetation, the terrain is rocky, and there are deep canyons.
More information on the wildlife mentioned here:
Elevation:1400 ft.
Weather: July
average high is 89; January average low is 46; first/last freeze: November
20/March 11.
Schedule: Open 7 days a week year-round except during public hunts. Busy Season: March, April, and May. Check the Calendar for events and access restrictions scheduled within the next 3 months.
Directions: Located 9 miles west of Comstock on US Highway 90, just east of the Pecos River Bridge.
Current conditions including, fire bans & water levels, can vary from day to day. For more details, contact the park.
