TX State ParksAn independent field guide

Mission Tejas State Park

State park in Houston County, in the Pineywoods region. Established 1957. 664 acres by TPWD boundary data.

The replica of Mission Tejas built by the Civilian Conservation Corps circa 1935 in Mission Tejas State Park , Houston County, Texas, United States.
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mission Tejas State Park is in the tall pines at the north end of the Davy Crockett National Forest, midway between Dallas and Houston. It has a replica of the Spanish mission, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, the Rice family log home from the early 1800s, and 8.5 miles of trails, including a stretch of El Camino Real.

Things to do

Hike El Camino Real

The moderate Nabedache Loop passes remnants of El Camino Real, which the Spanish began building in the 1690s. Dogwoods bloom around the last week of March.

History

See the CCC-built mission replica and the Rice family log home. Tours of the historic buildings must be booked ahead.

Fish

Fish the small pond near the picnic area or San Pedro Creek. No license is needed, and you can borrow gear.

Tejas Mission Playground
Photo: Mike Kachline, CC BY-SA 3.0
The log cabin home of the Rice Family in Mission Tejas State Park in Houston County, Texas, United States. The Rice's began building the cabin in 1828 and finis
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
Mission San Francisco de los Tejas replica
Photo: Jpo tx113, CC BY-SA 4.0

Trails

TPWD counts about 8.5 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.

TrailDistanceDifficultyTime
Karl Lovett Trail0.5 miModerate30 min.
Steep Ravine Trail2.4 miChallenging90 min.
Hardwood Trail0.5 miModerate30 min.
Olen Matchett Trail0.5 miChallenging45 min.
CCC Bathtub Trail0.1 miEasy10 min.
Tejas Timber Trail0.5 miEasy20 min.
Nabedache Loop1.1 miModerate45 min.
Chimney Loop0.9 miChallenging45 min.
Big Pine Trail0.6 miChallenging45 min.
Weches Run0.4 miModerate20 min.
Lightning Trail0.2 miEasy15 min.
San Pedro Spur0.2 miEasy10 min.
Primitive Loop0.8 miEasy35 min.

Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).

Camping

There are 15 sites with water and electricity and two with water only, with restrooms and showers nearby, plus a group camp.

Site typeSitesSleepsPer night
Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric128$15
Campsites with Electricity (Tent Only)Water and electric38$15
Campsites with WaterTent sites with water28$10
Primitive CampsitesPrimitive58$10

Nightly rates are on top of the daily entrance fee. Book a site with Texas State Parks reservations, or call (512) 389-8900.

Visiting with dogs

Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.

Swimming

TPWD doesn't list swimming for this park.

Best time to go

Busy season
Spring, summer and fall
January low
35°F
July high
95°F
Rain per year
42.2 in.
Night sky
Bortle 3

TPWD lists spring, summer and fall as the busy season. Dogwoods bloom in late March, and the woods color up in fall.

Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).

Getting there

19343 State Highway 21 E.
Grapeland, TX 75844
(936) 687-2394

Open in OpenStreetMap (31.5419, -95.2338)

From the nearest cities in this guide
FromApprox. driveStraight line
Tyler1 hr 18 min54 mi
The Woodlands2 hr 31 min96 mi
Dallas2 hr 57 min125 mi
Houston3 hr122 mi
Waco3 hr 13 min115 mi
Fort Worth3 hr 36 min150 mi
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Nearby parks

  1. Fort Boggy State Park50 miles away. $3 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  2. Lake Livingston State Park63 miles away. $6 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  3. Martin Creek Lake State Park64 miles away. $4 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  4. Tyler State Park65 miles away. $6 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  5. Huntsville State Park65 miles away. $7 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.

Straight-line distance. See every park in the Pineywoods.

Questions people ask

Is the mission at Mission Tejas original?

No. It's a replica built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.

How much does Mission Tejas State Park cost?

Day-use entry is $4 per adult, and kids 12 and under get in free.

Photo credits

Sources

Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Mission Tejas has current alerts and closures.

  1. TPWD: Mission Tejas State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
  2. TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
  3. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
  4. TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
  5. TPWD: Mission Tejas State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
  6. TPWD: Mission Tejas State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
  7. TPWD: Mission Tejas State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
  8. TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
  9. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
  10. Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
  11. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
  12. Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026