After parking near the cafe, either before or after breakfast or lunch where you can sit looking out on the cactus garden, you can look into the garden from outside the fenced area. The scrubby grassy area north of the cafe has a dirt road you can drive or walk around. This is great for Scaled Quail, Cactus Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher and Black-throated Sparrow and Pyrrhuloxia., in winter for sparrows including large flocks of Lark Bunting. Also birding along the south fence looking out onto the prairie can be great. One of the best ways to experience Mountain View Lodge is book a cabin facing the prairie and sitting on the deck looking for the evening or morning. 

Black-chinned Hummingbird, Say's Phoebe, Cactus Wren, and Curve-billed Thrasher. The natural setting attracts endemic and migrating species, and sightings include American Kestrel, Cassin's Kingbird, Scaled Quail, Canyon Towhee, and many finches and sparrows. 

New ownership as of the summer of 2023. Lodges are still available and now there's a cafe that's open Friday-Monday for breakfast 8 AM - 11 AM and lunch 11:30 AM - 2 PM. Cabins are pet friendly, and clean from personal experience.

The Davis Mountains Loop is apart of the Texas Parks and Wildlife's, Great Texas Wildlife Trails, Far West Texas Wildlife Trail.