Certified Sites on El Camino Real de los Tejas NHT

Los Adaes, the symbol of New Spain in Louisiana, was once the capital of Texas. The founding of Natchitoches in 1714 by the French resulted in Spain's establishment, within two years, of six missions and one fort in east Texas. In 1719, a French attack on nearby Mission San Miguel alarmed the Spanish and they built a new presidio, or fort, to counter any further French intrusion into Spanish territory.

On a mission to establish trading ties with Spain, French-Canadian trader Louis Juchereau de St. Denis encountered an impenetrable logjam on the Red River; at this spot he hastily built two crude huts, which become Fort St. Jean Baptiste and the town of Natchitoches, the oldest permanent settlement in what would become the Louisiana Purchase. St. Denis was named the commandant of the fort in 1722, and the colony thrived until his death in 1744.

Fort Jesup remained an important military post for nearly 25 years. The fort witnessed the migration of US settlers into Texas, the winning of Texas independence, and the annexation of Texas as a US state in 1845. Fort Jesup, no longer needed as a border outpost, was abandoned in 1846.

Established along Native American trails, Ranchería Grande was a diverse settlement of 23 Indigenous nations when Spanish explorers first encountered it in the 18th century. This joint settlement pooled resources for subsistence and defense, while also serving as a refuge for Native peoples fleeing Spanish missions. The 2.2 mile loop walk takes you through the rolling Post Oak Savannah hills of Central Texas. Visit cedarhillnaturepreserve.com/home to schedule a walk.

Construction of the acequia at Mission San Antonio de Valero began in 1719. The source of the acequia was the San Antonio River near the ford of the Paso de Tejas. Here water was rerouted from the river by means of a diversion dam that extended into the stream from its western bank. The acequia served to raise and direct the flow of water toward the eastern bank to a canal intake. The acequia remained in use until 1912.

This museum showcases the region's history, culture, industry, and populations through a series of changing exhibits and educational seminars.

Mission Dolores was a Spanish mission built in 1721. The site imparts significant history about the American Indian experience with Texas’ earliest European settlers. Although there are no historic above-ground remains, the mission is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated State Antiquities Landmark.

Born in the Spanish town of Béxar, José Antonio Navarro’s life (1795-1871) and career spanned four distinct periods of Texas history: Spanish, Mexican, the Republic of Texas, and the United States. A signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, a writer of the Texas State Constitution, and the namesake of Navarro County, he was a champion of civil rights for Hispanics.

Mission San Francisco de los Tejas, the first Spanish mission in the province of Texas, was established in 1690 on San Pedro Creek just east of the site of present-day Augusta. Although the original site of the 1690 mission has not been found, Mission Tejas State Park offers hikers a chance to walk an original segment of El Camino Real de los Tejas.

Part of a 27-building complex listed on the National Register of Historic Places, La Villita contains architectural and archaeological evidence of early civilian and military life in Spanish Texas; it also played an important role in the Texas Revolution.

The fort is one of the best remaining examples of a nineteenth-century fortified home along El Camino Real de los Tejas (many others were lost during the construction of the Falcon International Reservoir in the mid-twentieth century).

This national historic landmark is where Spain had its first permanent military presence in San Antonio. It represents the last visual vestiges of the Presidio San Antonio de Béjar. Traditionally known as the Spanish Governor's Palace, it was the original comandancia (residence and working office) for the captains of the military garrison from 1722 until the early 1800s.

The area surrounding these springs has been inhabited since prehistoric times. When Spanish explorers visited the springs in the late 1600s, the area was occupied by the Payayas Indians, who lived in the village of Yanaguana. The area around the springs (at the Presidio San Antonio de Bexar, 1st site) was the original site of San Antonio, and in 1729 it was dedicated as a public space by the Spanish government.