Nacogdoches
The oldest town in Texas, where Native American trails became city streets
Quick Facts
Spring for dogwood blooms and pleasant weather.
About Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches traces its history as a human settlement back at least 10,000 years. The Caddo people called this place home long before Spanish missionaries established Mission Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in 1716, making Nacogdoches one of the oldest continuously occupied settlements in the United States. The town sits in the heart of the East Texas Piney Woods, surrounded by the Angelina National Forest, and has a remarkable downtown historic district that reveals layers of history stretching from the Spanish colonial era to the present.
Things to Do
Stone Fort Museum
A reconstruction of the 1779 Casa de los Cuatro Cielos, the original commercial and political center of colonial Nacogdoches, now housing excellent exhibits on the town's Native American, Spanish, and Anglo-American heritage. It's a small but excellent museum on the SFA campus.
Historic Downtown
The intersection of the Old San Antonio Road and the Old Salt Road — two pre-Columbian trade routes — is now the center of the downtown historic district. The renovated early 20th-century commercial buildings house galleries, restaurants, and boutiques.
Millard's Crossing
A collection of 19 authentic 19th-century East Texas buildings relocated to a wooded site on the edge of town. The structures range from a log cabin to a Victorian schoolhouse, creating one of the best living history complexes in the state.
Lake Nacogdoches
A 2,200-acre reservoir on the edge of town with fishing, boating, and lakeside hiking. The surrounding Angelina National Forest offers excellent birding.
Where to Eat
Clear Springs Restaurant
East Texas catfish and Southern cooking at its finest — the fried catfish plate with jalapeño cornbread is a regional tradition.
Fredonia Brewery
The best craft brewery in deep East Texas, with a taproom in a converted 1924 power plant. The pine forest-inspired beers are excellent.
🗺️ Getting There
140 miles east of Dallas on U.S. 259. 75 miles north of Beaumont on U.S. 59.
📅 Best Time to Visit
Spring for dogwood blooms and pleasant weather. Fall foliage in October–November is spectacular in the Piney Woods.
🤠 Did You Know?
“Nacogdoches has been under nine different flags — Native American tribal governments, Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States, and the United States — more than any other city in Texas.”