I’ve been a Texan for about 23.5 years now, and I often see the blue signage for our Texas Travel Trail system. I know there are 10 of them, I know their names, and their general locations. I also know that they are now called “Texas Heritage Trails,” according to this site: http://www.thc.state.tx.us/HeritageTravel/HT.html . However, the Texas Historical Comission only has brochures available for 3 of them, and seem to attribute ownership of the system to the Texas Department of Transportation, whose site ( http://www.dot.state.tx.us )has no mention of them. This site ( http://www.byways.org/travel/state.html?CX_STATE=TX )tells me that TXDoT published folders until 1987, which I presume had maps in them.
I’m looking for maps of the Trails, all of 'em if possible. Can any of my fellow TexDopers or CartoDopers hook me up?
Here is a site with a map showing the general locations of the trails, and a list of the trails. However, if you follow the links, you’ll find that information about specific trails doesn’t exist.
However, there is contact information at the bottom of the page, which may get you to the information you want.
In 1991, Texas Monthly magazine published detailed road guides for each of the trails as a removable insert (I still have most of the guides). You can find the following trail guides in these issues:
Feb 91 – Texas Tropical Trail
Mar 91 – Texas Hill Country Trail
Apr 91 – Texas Independence Trail
May 91 – Texas Brazos Trail
Jun 91 – Texas Forts Trail
Jul 91 – Texas Lakes Trail
Aug 91 – Texas Mountain Trail
Sep 91 – Texas Plains Trail
Oct 91 – Texas Forest Trail
Nov 91 – Texas Pecos Trail
Most Texas public and college libraries carry back issues of Texas Monthly. Hopefully, the issues are intact and you can just go photocopy these guides. Each is about 10-12 pages and includes a map of the trail, a brief history of each town you pass through, and write-ups on points of interest along the trail.
Not really an answer, but have your read the Texas Travel Guide? You can order it at http://www.traveltex.com . Best of all, it’s free – funded by we the people (and the tourism industry).