A Trail Through Texas History: El Camino Real de los Tejas

Spanning the centuries and the breadth of Texas from the Rio Grande to the Sabine River, a “royal road” connects the present to the past. El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail was designated as part of the National Trails System by the U.S. Congress in 2004, but its story started far earlier, as a series of routes laid by Indigenous Texans and later followed by Spanish colonists, French explorers, Anglo-American settlers, and enslaved people seeking freedom.

In this program, speakers from El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association and the Texas Historical Commission discuss the trail’s historical context and usage, the significance of its status as a National Historic Trail, and ongoing work to preserve this unique cultural landscape. You learn about places to visit along the trail, such as Caddo Mounds and Mission Dolores state historic sites.