Mission Tejas State Park, State park in Houston County, Texas
This 660-acre park contains natural springs, tall pine forests, and a network of 8.5 miles of hiking trails through the eastern Texas woodland.
The first Spanish mission in Texas, San Francisco de los Tejas, was established near this location in 1690 and served the Nabedache Indians until 1693.
The Rice Family Log Home, constructed in 1828, stands as one of the oldest structures in Houston County and served travelers along El Camino Real.
The park maintains 17 camping sites with electricity and water connections, plus a group facility area near San Pedro Creek for outdoor gatherings.
Visitors can walk on an original segment of El Camino Real de los Tejas, a road system that connected Mexico City to Texas for over 150 years.
Location: Houston County
Website: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/mission-tejas
GPS coordinates: 31.54840,-95.24040
Latest update: March 7, 2025 15:50
Texas combines landscapes that barely resemble each other. The west spreads out in deserts and sand dunes, while the east is marked by swamps and dense forests. Between these extremes lie limestone cliffs, natural springs, and waterfalls that bubble up from the ground. The size of the state allows for this variety. A traveler can hike through dry canyons one day and wade through marshland the next. The state preserves places from different chapters of history. Spanish missions built in the 18th century stand near Native American quarries used for thousands of years. Mining towns and military forts from the 1800s now sit empty, their wooden structures weathered by sun and wind. Plantation houses with wide porches remain from before the Civil War. Visitors can also find a Japanese garden in San Antonio, a replica of Stonehenge in the Hill Country, and underwater caves where divers explore submerged passages. The variety makes it possible to see ancient footprints, colonial architecture, and ghost towns in the same trip.
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Redland Drive-In
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Texas Theater
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