El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail

A mission on the El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail in San Antonio, Texas.

 

The 2,580-mile El Camino Real de Los Tejas (“Royal Road of Texas”) originated during 17th century Spanish rule in the region.

For generations, many tribes had utilized this route for trading in the Great Plains and the Chihuahuan Desert. The trail sprawled from present day Mexico City north to San Antonio, Texas and ended at Natchitoches, Louisiana, a famous trading hub. The route was first documented by Spanish missionaries in the 1700s and became an official road to connecting Spain’s outposts.

Today, San Antonio provides a hub of historic attractions including a huge number of historic buildings, including the famed Alamo.