The unique blue and white signs featuring two blue conifers are a regular roadside feature in Wood County. The signs can be found alongside TX 37 between Mineola and Quitman and marking FM 2869 and FM 1647 in the eastern reaches of the county.

The signs designate those stretches of roadway that were part of the original Texas Forest Trail. While the concept of the forest trail has now matured to include the entire East Texas region, the characteristic signs from the original trail remain. 

What began as ten specific driving routes around the state has morphed into ten regions. Each region is tied to a part of Texas heritage. The regions are administered through the Heritage Trail Program of the Texas Historical Commission.  

Heritage tourism has become big business.

According to Del Polikretis, director of the Texas Forest Trail region, the economic impact of the trails program is immense.

“For 2020, the Texas Historical Commission estimated over $1 billion of travel-generated earnings would be realized through heritage tourism in the state,” explained Polikretis. 

While the pandemic no doubt impacted those projections, East Texas and specifically Wood County are well-positioned to negotiate the economic impact of the pandemic. 

“What we are seeing,” noted Polikretis, “are a lot of people coming to East Texas as a get-away from the confines of the DFW and Houston metropolitan areas. Cabins, resorts, and campgrounds within an easy drive of the Metroplexes are having a good year.”

The Texas Forest Trail encompasses a 35-county area from the Red River in the north to the Sabine River basin in the south. Wood County lies along the western boundary of the region which adjoins the Lakes Trail region.

The other regions of the state are the Independence Trail, Tropical Trail, Brazos Trail, Hill Country Trail, Forts Trail, Pecos Trail, Mountain Trail and the Plains Trail. 

The concept of marketing Texas tourism came from the desk of Governor John Connally in 1968. More specifically, it was a letter drafted to the governor from an undergraduate at Texas Tech University which started the ball rolling. 

That letter, which received the governor’s endorsement, spawned a commission and the initiative was born.

The initial idea was to advertise for automobile-traveling vacationers to come and drive a circular route which carried them through the unique regions of the state. 

The original Texas Forest Trail cut diagonally through Wood County. It came up US 69 to Mineola and continued to Quitman on TX 37.  From the county seat the trail followed FM 2088 to Perryville, went due north on FM 1647 and intersected Texas 11, continuing on to Pittsburg.

It then made a long loop through Dangerfield and Lone Star, around Caddo Lake, proceeded westward to Longview before stretching to St. Augustine to the southeast. From Lake Sam Rayburn the trail led via Woodville to Conroe before beginning a trek northwards, through Palestine and back to Tyler. 

Those who put the original Forest Trail route together did so with some forethought. Routing through Lone Star, for example, has made a visit to the Chapel in the Pines at the gates of Lone Star Steel a notable stop. Likewise, a crisscross of Lake Sam Rayburn reservoir carries travelers through part of the Angelina National Forest. 

The routes were commissioned in 1968 and remained as such – advertised driving trails – until 1997 when a state tourist program began to consider how to leverage them to increase tourism revenue.

The following year the Texas Historical Commission gained overarching administration of the trails. In time, each of the ten regions became non-profit organizations.

This designation allowed the regions to benefit from a variety of funding streams. They did however remain beholden to the state through the biennial budget process and for oversight purposes. 

Today the heritage regions of Texas are major advertising agents for the state. Polikretis noted that social media has become a huge part of the advertising effort. “We have 80,000 followers on our social media accounts,” he said.

As the sole employee of the Texas Forest Trail region, Polikretis is a busy man.

“We work with municipalities, heritage sites, Main Street cities, museums and community celebration committees, basically anyone who shares an interest in increasing the revenues we can generate through Texas tourism,” he summarized.

Polikretis has an office in Nacogdoches with a satellite office in Tyler and a part-time desk in Marshall. He spends a lot of time on the road. 

Road trips are a part of the job description. This upcoming year Polikretis will be on the road focused on two subjects: museums and barbecue restaurants.  

Based on the amount of feedback he receives through social media, the marketing effort is paying off.

“Folks are thankful for the travel guides we produce as well as for highlighting that places which may not be obvious if not known about in advance,” he stated.

The director remains very optimistic about Texas tourism. He described how, as we pull out of the pandemic, people will have a yearning to travel.

“We want to keep East Texas in the forefront,” Polikretis added.

His wife being from Gilmer, Polikretis married into East Texas. When asked about considering himself now a Texan, he answered without hesitation. After seeing so much of East Texas, he offered, “you don’t have a choice.” His comment spoke to the authenticity and friendliness that is East Texas.

Much more is available about the Texas Heritage Trails at their website https://texasforesttrail.com. If there ever was a year which necessitated a drive through our beautiful countryside, this is it.