Seminole Canyon State Historical Park Comstock, Texas by Norman W. Hildrum

Seminole Canyon State Historical Park is located in southwest Texas about eight miles west of Comstock and adjacent to the Rio Grande River. The park contains 4,000 year-old rock art at a site called Fate Bell Shelter. The setting is true southwest desert containing mesquite, sage, cactus, and numerous desert creatures such as javelina, armadillo, rattlesnakes, tarantula, scorpion, roadrunners, and white-tailed deer. The campground consists of 27 nicely spaced sites (19 with water and electricity). There is a well maintained shower building and dump station. The park has a well designed visitor center and many miles of hiking trails. Our cost was $13.00 per night (03/00). We really enjoyed this campground because of its' panoramic views, nicely spaced campsites and well maintained facilities. Hiking Trails - We decided to partake in the hiking opportunities and went for a short (six-mile) hike to see Panther Cave Archaeological site. There is a well marked easy to walk trail from the campground to a point in the park where Seminole Canyon opens into the Rio Grande River and Amistad Reservoir. Amistad Reservoir has more than 850 miles of shoreline and impounds water for more than 75 miles from the dam site. Amistad National Recreation Area is administered by the National Park Service which is responsible for the recreation facilities, interpretive programs, and the protection of cultural resources. Near this point is Panther Cave and it contains some of the best pictographs in North America. We had no problem walking the three miles to the overlook. However, during the return three miles, our bones started to ache and a few blisters began to develop. Actually, there were no serious blisters or injuries. We were just tired from the long afternoon in the Texas sun. Langtry, Texas - Another interesting site to visit is the Jersey Lilly Saloon in Langtry, Texas. The saloon and town was named for the famous singer Lily Langtry, one of Bean's obsessions. The saloon was the site of Judge Roy Bean's court room. Here Bean, as the first Justice of the Peace for Pecos County, presided as the only "Law West of the Pecos." The judge was a very colorful character and many stories have been told about his exploits. I seem to remember at least one television series about Judge Roy Bean and several movies including one starring Paul Newman. It was a very interesting visit because the Jersey Lilly still stands on the very spot it did when the Judge lived there. The interior is also original. This is a Texas Department of Transportation Travel and Information Center which offers a video on Judge Roy Bean, travel information on most Texas destinations, and a very well done outdoor display of native Texas plants.

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