Toledo Bend Lake Country - In conjunction with partners across the trail, El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association (ElCaT) will be hosting its inaugural El Camino Real Day (ECRD) on October 19.
The inaugural ECRD is intended to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Camino Real being designated as a National Historic Trail (NHT) by the U.S. Congress on October 18, 2004. As an NHT, El Camino Real is part of an elite group of trails that make up the National Trails System. The system was established in 1968 and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson to create a network of trails considered nationally significant to the American people. In the case of El Camino Real de los Tejas, it is because it is the road that led to the founding of Texas and Louisiana!
The Caddo Region of the Trail will celebrate ECRD at sites along the trail all the way from the Nacogdoches, Texas to Natchitoches, Louisiana. Events will vary from site to site and will consist of activities such as crafts and food demonstrations, presentations, walks along the historic route of the trail, and more!
Steven Gonzales, executive director of ElCaT states, “El Camino Real Day is the first time that sites across the trail will collectively be celebrating the Camino and what it means to our states and citizens. It is a great way for people to see and explore the trail, in numerous ways, and to learn about its role in these places that we cherish!”
Participating Sites in the Caddo Region: Fort Jesup State Historic Site in Many, La; Adai Caddo Indian Nation Cultural Center in Robeline, La; Oakland Plantation in Natchez, La; Los Adaes State Historic Site in Robeline, La; Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site in Natchitoches, La; The Durst Taylor House in Nacogdoches, Tx; The Stone Fort Museum in Nacogdoches, Tx; The Caddo Mounds Historic Site in Cherokee County, Tx.
Interested parties are encouraged to visit https://toledobendlakecountry. com/event/ el-camino-real-day to learn about an event near them.
The NHT is administered by the National Park Service in conjunction with numerous partners across the trail. ElCaT is the official nonprofit 501(c)(3) partner of the NPS and ElCaT seeks to protect the historic integrity of the trail, to educate the public about its significance, and to promote resource development, interpretation, and tourism along its path.