Nacogdoches: Gardens, Trails and Texas History

Gardens along Lanana Creek, trails through native forest and museums in historic buildings reveal different sides of Nacogdoches. Natural attractions range from a botanical garden on a university campus to a large reservoir; historic homes and collections offer their own highlights.

Gardens and Trails Through Nature

The Mast Arboretum is located along Lanana Creek on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University. Spanning 10 acres, it is home to more than 7,500 plant species and is considered the oldest university arboretum in Texas. The garden combines a manageable area with an extensive plant collection. The Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden is somewhat larger at 11 acres; it is open from sunrise to sunset.

Another highlight is the Pineywoods Native Plant Center. The 40-acre site serves as a living laboratory and provides recreational opportunities for the community and region. It is surrounded by two miles of accessible trails through native forest and varied gardens.

Lake Nacogdoches and Trails of Different Lengths

Lake Nacogdoches, a 2,210-acre reservoir, lies southwest of Nacogdoches. The two lakeside parks provided by the city each have boat ramps with docks, picnic and swimming areas, and restrooms. Westside Park also has a two-thirds-mile nature trail.

The Lanana (The Nurse) Creek Trail offers a longer route: It is 2.7 miles long and designed as a hiking, biking and nature trail between East Main and East Austin. Comparing the trail lengths makes it possible to see how the routes differ without estimating how long they take to walk. The trail was created in 1986 as a tribute to the 150th anniversary of Texas. Thus, Nacogdoches Lake offers a short nature trail and several park facilities, while a longer route accommodates different activities.

Texas History in Homes and Museums

The Sterne-Hoya House Museum and Library is a dogtrot house built by Adolphus Sterne in 1830. Inside, period antiques, family heirlooms and a library on Texas history tell the story of the Sterne family during the Texas Revolution and the Victorian era of the Hoya family. The house thus connects two distinct family histories with a collection that also showcases the building’s architectural style.

Millard’s Crossing Historic Village showcases 19th-century East Texas architectural history, with rustic log cabins alongside elegant Victorian houses. Other museums focus on specific subjects. The Fire Museum is home to “Big Bertha,” a 1923 Seagrave fire engine and the first fire truck in Nacogdoches. Today, the Old Nacogdoches University Building houses a small museum on the city’s educational history. The building itself is an outstanding example of early- and mid-19th-century Greek Revival classicism.

Architecture also offers distinctive historical highlights: The architecturally significant Zion Hill Baptist Church was designed in the Gothic Revival style by local architect Diedrich Rulfs. The Nacogdoches Railroad Depot now houses a transportation museum on the history of railroads and their passengers. The Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau is located in the historic center along the historic route El Camino Real de Los Tejas, now called Main Street.

Harvest Festival and Seasonal Market

The Texas Blueberry Festival is an annual celebration of the state’s blueberry harvest in the heart of the oldest town in Texas. The Nacogdoches Farmers Market is also part of the local scene: The nonprofit organization grows to more than 45 vendors in the summer. They sell a variety of goods they have grown or made themselves.

Discover more destinations: Nacogdoches, Robertson County, Sutton, Goliad County, Jim Wells, Bastrop, Karnes, Brewster

For the main travel overview: Texas.