The fort was named for then United States Secretary of War and later Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

The historical and architectural value of the fort, alongside the rugged natural environment of the park are a significant destination for tourism in Texas.

Rather than being a single coherent range, the Davis Mountains are an irregular jumble of isolated peaks and ridges separated by flatter areas.

The most common vegetation of the Davis Mountains is montane grassland, often mixed with scattered bushes and trees.

The mesic woodlands are remnants of past glacial ages in which the climate of West Texas was more humid and cooler than at present.

However, the highest elevations may transition into a cooler, wetter Cfb climate (subtropical humid with warm summers).

On April 27, 1997, the leader of the group, Rick McLaren, staged an attack on his neighbor's house and demanded that he cede his property to the Republic of Texas.

This led to 300 state troopers surrounding his house with his five followers, his wife, the victims of the attack, and him inside for close to a week.

Ultimately, one follower was shot in the standoff and McLaren was arrested and imprisoned for the equivalent of a life sentence.