Nacogdoches community goes hiking for National Trails Day

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) - Today is National Trails Day and the City of Nacogdoches, Nac Historic Sites, celebrated with an event called Hike Through History.

This is the second year that Nac Historic Sites has hosted the Hike Through History event on National Trails Day. This guided tour takes people throughout the downtown area and teaches them a little bit about the history of the oldest town in Texas.

Veronica Amoe, Nac Historic Sites manager, said this year looked a little different.

“Normally we do try and incorporate the trails, but the portion that we would have taken was damaged in the floods, but that is a great example of the importance of preserving the trails here in Nacogdoches and all over the nation,” Amoe said.

A few dozen people gathered at the visitors’ center for a slow-paced, 1.5-mile hike around the area.

Jeff Abt regularly gives tours of the area, and he volunteered his time today.

“They heard about people who fought in the Alamo; they heard about educators and poets; we got to see the wonderful historic Zion Hill Baptist Church. It gives the people a sense of place, and in the end, if you have a sense of place, it makes you feel connected,” Abt said.

Participants Gene and Debbie Harrison have been in Nacogdoches for about five years now. They enjoyed learning more about the houses on Mound Street.

“The architect and some of the houses he did...we go up and down Mound Street a lot because we like the houses, and we knew about the mound from a neighbor, but he gave us more background on the architect and the style of houses,” Debbie said.

“I like the way the stories he told kind of bring these people to life. It’s not just facts, figures, dates -- they were real people and lived a hard life.”

Amoe said an event like this one is important.

“We also know that they are interested in learning more about the history of Nacogdoches and not only learning all of the amazing things that happened here, but they are also interested in National Trails Day,” Amoe said.

Nac Historic Sites does these guided tours throughout the city twice a year.

Copyright 2023 KTRE. All rights reserved.