Explore: The Forest Trail Region
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Highlights
Energy City
This railroad-turned-petrochemical seaport boom town has played a major role in Texas history from the Civil War to present day as a leader in the refining industry. Surrounded by beaches, this Gulf Coast City is also a perfect place for year-...
Ghost in the Woods
Deep in the Angelina National Forest, the remains of Aldridge Sawmill Town represent the rise and fall of the East Texas timber industry from turn-of-the-20th century boom to 1920s bust. Hikers can tackle a 3-mile trail from the Boykin Springs...
Wildcatters on the Prowl
Do you recognize the name Daisy Bradford? That's the gusher that turned East Texas into Boomtown, USA overnight. The East Texas Oil Museum takes you back to the era of the Wildcatter with dioramas,...
Upcoming Events
2013 Memorial Day Gospel Music Festival
May 23, 2013 (All day) to May 26, 2013 (All day)
Fellowship with Friends, Mid-week Covered Dish Gathering, Campsite Jam Sessions and Lots of Great Bluegrass Gospel Entertainment on the Big Stage over the weekend. We will have some of the best Bluegrass Gospel Entertainment available to us this...
Primitive Technologies Series #1: Primitive Tools and Friction Fire Starting
May 25, 2013 - 12:00pm to 4:30pm
Caddo Mounds State Historic Site invites the public to the first in a series of Saturday afternoon programs to learn about the early technologies used by prehistoric Native Americans – the spear, atlatl, bow, and throwing sticks.
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Everything Texas Fest
May 30, 2013 (All day) to June 2, 2013 (All day)
Mount Pleasant will come alive during Everything Texas Fest, May 30 - June 2, 2013. This event is designed to promote Mount Pleasant by bringing together over 50 booths of arts and hand-crafted items, kids' activities, musical entertainment...
About the Forest Trail Region
The Forest Trail Region was the “Gateway to Texas” for Caddo Indians, Spanish and French explorers, Anglo pioneers, European immigrants, and enslaved and freed African Americans. Shadows of early Caddo and Spanish occupation linger, and the stories of Texas’ emergence from a wilderness to a great state unfold in the region’s numerous towns, many among the state’s oldest.
Spanning 35 counties from the Oklahoma-Arkansas border to the Gulf of Mexico, the region encompasses great stories of boom and bust in oil and timber, the early rebellion leading to the Texas Revolution, the El Camino Real de los Tejas, and the mystery and manners you’d expect from the lush, sweet spot between the Old South and the Wild West.
Our Partners
The Forest Trail Region works with a variety of organizations to promote heritage travel throughout the region.
