Last updated: December 27, 2022
Place
Lobanillo Swales
Photo/NPS
Quick Facts
Location:
on State Hwy. 21 W 2 miles west of Geneva, Texas (near the Sabine-San Augustine county line)
Significance:
The sandy soil at Lobanillo Swales displays the impact of thousands of travelers over hundreds of years, allowing visitors to follow in the footsteps of the diverse populations that used El Camino Real de los Tejas.
Designation:
Certified site
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
2 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Trailhead
A state historic marker in nearby Geneva says that the historic Spanish rancho known as El Lobanillo was located nearby. The rancho included the pueblo of Gil Y'Barbo (1729-1809), a refuge used by his ailing mother and other refugees in 1773 when Spain evacuated colonists from western Louisiana and East Texas. It was given as a land grant to Juan Ignacio Pifermo in 1794, and inherited in the early 1800s by John Maximillian (ca. 1778-1866).
Site Information
Location (on State Hwy. 21 W 2 miles west of Geneva, Texas (near the Sabine-San Augustine county line))
Two sets of deep and parallel swales extend about one-quarter mile through the forest. One set of swales has seven parallel ruts reaching a depth of 18 feet and 12 feet wide. The quiet surroundings and tall pine trees give a sense of what the area was like hundreds of years ago.
El Camino Real de Los Tejas National Historic Trail Association
El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail
Visit our keyboard shortcuts docs for details
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 6 seconds
Take a short hike among the greatest concentration of El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail swales in the nation. These parallel ruts are up to 18 feet deep and 12 feet wide, and were created by thousands of people, animals, carts, and wagons traveling the Trail between Mexico City and what is today Louisiana. This site is privately owned and managed by El Camino Real de los Tejas NHT Association.