Fort Leaton State Historic Site

Fort Leaton features thick adobe walls reaching up to 22 feet in height, with 100 rooms arranged around a central courtyard near the Rio Grande.

Benjamin Leaton established this trading post in 1848, which later became the first governmental seat of Presidio County until his death in 1851.

The fort served as a commercial center along the Chihuahua Trail, facilitating trade between Santa Fe merchants and local Native American communities.

Visitors can explore the fort daily from 8 AM to 4:30 PM through guided tours or self-guided walks, with exhibits displaying frontier life artifacts.

The structure contains three-foot-thick adobe walls that maintained comfortable temperatures despite the extreme desert climate of West Texas.

Location: Presidio County

Inception: 1978

Elevation above the sea: 782 m

Address: 4 mi. E of Presidio on FM 170

Website: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/fort-leaton

GPS coordinates: 29.54420,-104.32800

Latest update: March 9, 2025 15:58