NPS photo.
The National Park Service invites you to visit places listed in the National Register of Historic Places that bring alive stories along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail and illuminate the diverse ways this important cultural route has contributed to the history and development of the United States. El Camino Real is North America’s longest Euro-American trade route, tying Spain’s colonial capital in Mexico City to its northern frontier in New Mexico, spanning three centuries, two countries and 1,600 miles.
This travel itinerary offers several ways to discover and experience these historic places. Although not all parts of El Camino Real are accessible to the public, the 17 significant El Camino Real sites in New Mexico and West Texas highlighted here challenge modern-day explorers to track their own path through the region’s contemporary cultural landscape. Savor the scenery (digitally or in person), and imagine life on the Royal Road.
The El Camino Real Travel Itinerary includes several ways to discover & learn about places along the trail. Read descriptions of each featured destinations, find essays about the history of the trail, or explore lesson plans relating to the subject material. You can also learn more at the National Park Service’s El Camino Real main page.
The El Camino Real itinerary is part of the Department of the Interior, National Park Service's strategy to promote public awareness of history and encourage visits to historic places throughout the nation. The itineraries help people everywhere learn about and plan trips to visit the amazing diversity of this country’s historic places, many of which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, which the National Park Service expands and maintains. The National Park Service and its partners hope you enjoy this itinerary and others in the series.
Last updated: September 30, 2020