by Donald P. McGookey.

“Geologists have long known the joy of stopping along highways or hiking the backcountry of West Texas and studying the geology. Some examples: stopping on Highway 71 across the Llano Uplift to study one half billion year old sandstones or 1.3 billion year old metamorphic rocks; hiking to the South Rim of the Chisos Mountains and drinking in the scenery and geology observed from that ridge; sampling the inside of a volcano in road cuts along US Highway 90 east of Alpine; walking the Skyline Drive in the Davis Mountains State Park and speculating on the Yellowstone-like terrain of hot springs and geysers that existed over the Davis Mountains 35 m.y. ago; and seeing a great barrier reef from inside out on a hike to Pratt’s cabin in McKittrick Canyon of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This book is an attempt to share the wonders of West Texas Geology. It is not inclusive. West Texas is a huge area and there are geologic features that are not covered.” – from the introduction