Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site, 12/27 - 12/29/16

47. Scampsite 12E (for electric); we set up and then hustled back to the Ranger Station for the afternoon tour of the Fate Bell Shelter, which is a ranger-led tour.  VERY COOL.  We highly recommend any ranger-led tour here; one can't access the pictographs without one.  We hiked the Rio Grande Trail and then took the Canyon Rim Trail back - it started out as a cool, misty, foggy day, but warmed up noticeably by the time we had left the Panther Cave overlook.  Those trails were great, but a little much for our pups!
This park has a lot of campsites and is easily accessible.  There is a group of campsites that look unfinished; when Aaron asked the ranger about them, she confirmed that the park ran out of money after they put in all the conduit, but before they could finish.  Hopefully they will finish those sooner than later.
There were frequent drive-throughs by the US Border Patrol too, which we found very interesting.

View of the Ranger office above the Seminole Canyon floor. 

Seminole Canyon - there is water from recent rains, there is no river flowing through here.

Fate Bell Annex.

Fate Bell Annex clarification sign. 

View of the Rio Grande from the Rio Grande Trail.

View of Panther Cave from the Canyon Rim Trail.  This is accessible only by boat.

Seminole Canyon meets the Rio Grande. 

Clarification sign for Panther Cave.

Gordie and Lulu on the Canyon Rim Trail. 

The railroad once went this way, before bridge technology improved so that they could go over the canyons instead of around them. 

Scampsite 12E, with a little sunset. 

Nearby attractions: the bridge crossing the Pecos River, west of Seminole Canyon, is spectacular.  Del Rio is the nearest county seat; it has lots of RV parks, restaurants, groceries, movies, bowling, and a lovely 3-mile (roughly) walking path along the San Felipe Creek.  We walked the dogs there twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times.  It's located between the Lions Park and the Country Club.  Val Verde Winery is also Texas' oldest winery, and the drive to it is gorgeous.