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Parks

History at Texas State Parks

Missions, forts and memorabila abound from the Hill Country to the West Texas desert.

Story by Texas Parks and Wildlife

May 2023

Mission Tejas State Park mission in the woods

Sonja Sommerfeld

Mission Tejas State Park mission in the woods
Sonja Sommerfeld

MISSION TEJAS STATE PARK

Humans have roamed the Texas Pineywoods for thousands of years. Mission Tejas State Park tells the story of European settlement of Texas and shows the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. The Spanish built their first mission in Texas near here, and the CCC sought to evoke the memory of the mission by building a commemorative replica log building. Hike in the footsteps of Davy Crockett along El Camino Real and visit the Rice Family Home, a place for travelers to stop along “The Royal Road” starting in the 1820s.

GOLIAD STATE PARK AND HISTORIC SITE

At Goliad State Park, check out a reconstruction of Mission Espíritu Santo, the ruins of Mission Rosario and the nearby Presidio La Bahía, where Col. James Fannin's men were held before their execution in the Texas Revolution.

HUECO TANKS STATE PARK AND HISTORIC SITE

The rock art at Hueco Tanks, just outside of El Paso, tells the stories of residents and travelers in this area over thousands of years.

LBJ STATE PARK AND HISTORIC SITE

Across the river from the ranch where Lyndon Baines Johnson was born, this park features LBJ history and memorabilia, as well as a living history farm.

FORT RICHARDSON STATE PARK AND HISTORIC SITE

Seven buildings remain of the historic Fort Richardson, established in 1867 following the Civil War. Soldiers here fought Native Americans in battles over the Texas frontier.

As Seen in the
May 2023 Issue
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