# San Augustine

San Augustine is a picturesque town in Deep East Texas, and the site of Mission Dolores, one of the first Spanish missions established in east Texas in the early 18th century. Today, San Augustine is a Texas Main Street Community of 1900 people (2020) with several old buildings in its historic downtown. It is within an hour's drive of two of east Texas' largest lakes: Sam Rayburn Reservoir and Toledo Bend Reservoir.

## Get in

The only practical way into San Augustine is by car.

### By car

The primary route into San Augustine is US Highway 96 from Beaumont and Center. There are also smaller state highways that lead into San Augustine, such as Texas Highway 21 from Milam and Nacogdoches, or Texas Highway 147 to Zavalla and Shelbyville.

### By plane

There is a small airstrip (San Augustine County Airport) about two miles west of town on Texas Highway 21. Useful for private planes and charter aircraft, a visitor arriving by plane would still need to arrange transportation with someone on the ground to travel the remaining distance to San Augustine. There is no public transportation or taxi service in the area.
It is a good distance to any nearby airport with commercial service. The nearest airports with this service are:
* Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV), 79 miles north-northeast via US-96, TX-7, LA-5, and US-171. Airlines serving are Allegiant, American, Delta, and United.
* Longview - East Texas Regional Airport (GGG ), 79 miles northwest via US-96, US-59, and TX-149. American is the sole airline serving this airport.
* Houston - George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), 138 miles south-southwest via TX-147, TX-103, and US-59. It is one of the largest hubs for United Airlines and serves a couple dozen other airlines as well.

## Get around
### By car

This is honestly the most practical way of getting around San Augustine. The town is not very large, but a car is definitely helpful, especially in the hotter summer months of July and August.

### On foot

The courthouse square and adjacent city block that makes up the downtown area can be traversed on foot. Sidewalks are uneven in a lot of places, but the rest are in fair shape.

## See

* 31.523889-94.1133331 Mission Dolores State Historic Site (Misión Nuestra Señora de los Delores de los Ais), 701 S. Broadway St (a quarter of a mile south of the San Augustine County Courthouse on Highway 147), ☏ +1 936 275 3815. Tu-Sa 8AM-4:30PM, closed Su M. This museum tells the story of Mission Dolores, a Spanish mission built in 1721 near the site of an earlier mission built in 1718 (this first mission was abandoned due to fears of French troops advancing on east Texas). This was one of several missions and presidios built in east Texas along the El Camino Real de los Tejas to advance Spanish claims on the land and part of an attempt to convert the Ais and Caddo peoples to Roman Catholicism. Though the mission itself was abandoned in the late 18th century, archaeological evidence has revealed its location and evidence of trade and relations between the Spanish, French, and Ais people. The museum interprets the story of Mission Dolores as a cultural crossroads in east Texas and one of the few existing sites along the Deep East Texas portion of the El Camino Real. $4.00 per person. (updated Dec 2023)

## Do
### Outdoors

* 31.477874-93.9493831 Lobanillo Swales, Texas Highway 21 East, 11 miles east of San Augustine. Sunrise-sunset daily. One of the largest concentrations of swales (deep ruts from wagon wheels) in Texas along the El Camino Real de los Tejas. 18 foot tall swales in places, with a quarter-mile (2/5 km) hiking trail that goes around the swales. Educational panels at the start of the trail. Free. (updated Feb 2024)

## Eat

31.53036-94.1103661 Heart of Texas Grill (H.O.T. Grill), 102 E. Columbia, San Augustine, ☏ +1 937 288 5022. General American fare, with burgers, sandwiches, and salad bar. $10-$20 per person. (updated Feb 2025)

## Drink

There are no bars or drinking establishments in San Augustine. Local convenience stores and grocery stores do sell beer.

## Sleep

The only accommodations in San Augustine are two small motor inns near the intersection of US 96 & TX 21. These are very basic accommodations and only offer a handful of amenities, but are also good for the budget conscious and are usually priced between $60 & $80 a night.
31.53198-94.1270661 San Augustine Inn, 1009 TX-21, ☏ +1 936-275-3452. (updated Dec 2023)
31.53171-94.126032 Budget Inn by Oyo, 116 US-96, ☏ +1 936-275-0445. (updated Feb 2025)