Caddo Mounds Texas State Historic Site – Worth The Drive

This Texas adventure began almost 2 years ago when my son Tyler and I were traveling cross-country from a birthday party and stumbled across these burial mounds in what could be described as the middle of nowhere, Texas.

I remember saying out loud, "Those look like Indian Burial Mounds," dang if I wasn't right! That's rare, so give me the win on this one.

Come to find out, these are, in fact, Caddo Indian Burial Mounds, and they have been here for a lot longer than the Great State of Texas has been.

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We stumbled upon this location while going from Hunstville along the OSR (Old San Antonio Road) better known these days as State Highway 21, coming back to Texarkana.

At the time, the mounds were there, of course, but the new visitors center and gift shop were under construction, so I made a mental note to come back when all the new stuff was open. Sure was worth the wait.

Quick Origin Story:

Around 1200 years ago, the Caddo Indians had a thriving village here, with farms, a very busy trade route for all kinds of Native peoples, houses, and of course, the burial mounds were here as well. Later, sadly, the Caddo were forced to move off their native lands and onto a Reservation in Oklahoma. We hope some of those wrongs have been corrected over the years, but I love seeing the Texas Historical Commission preserving amazing sites like this and telling the Caddo stories that go with it.

The new visitor center, classroom, and gift shop are done, it all looks great. What a terrific destination for class field trips, Scout Troops, or just everyday Texas tourists like you and me.

MyTravel Tip:

Take some time, plan a trip that will take you through this historic site and learn a little about what this land and its people were like long before it was Texas. Allow yourself at least a couple of hours to explore the site, you could easily take more time if you're not in a hurry.

The Caddo Mounds Historic Site is located off Hwy 21 just outside of Alto, Texas which is about 26 miles west of Nacogdoches.

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Learn more about the Caddo Indian Mounds Historic Site at their official website and Facebook Page.