Texas Lakes Trail Region

09/08/2026

Heritage Partners! The cut-off date to submit your ad and participate in our new Regional Map is September 15th!

Email our Executive Director to receive an Insertion Order form. Invoices will be sent via Quickbooks.

Less than 10 ad spots are left. We are printing 75,000 maps to be distributed for two years across all Texas Travel Information Centers and trade shows that the Texas Heritage Trail Regions participate in.

Jump on this today! Our next map will not be produced until 2028.

09/02/2026

Let's give a big HOWDYDOO to The Museum of North Texas History as our new Heritage Partner! 🤠

At the Museum of North Texas History, every artifact, photograph, and exhibit invites you to take a closer look at the people and events that shaped this dynamic region. From Native American heritage to frontier life, oil booms, military history, and modern growth, our galleries are a window into the culture, grit, and ingenuity of North Texas. Whether you’re a local resident or a curious traveler, you’ll find something meaningful in the tales of pioneers, soldiers, innovators, and everyday families who called this land home. Come see how history lives on right here in the heart of North Texas.

Thursday - Saturday 10:00-5:00
$5 Adults, $2 Children 6 & over 5 & under free.

08/31/2026

Heritage Partners! Only a few map ad spots are left. Jump on this opportunity before it's gone!

We are printing 75,000 maps which will be carried at all Texas Travel Information Centers and tradeshows that the Texas Heritage Trail Regions participates in. These maps will be distributed for two years until 2028!

Message our Executive Director today!

08/29/2026

Got a hankerin'? Need to grab a bite? Visit these long time establishments this weekend!

08/28/2026

We are at the Fort Worth Home & Garden Shows this weekend with the Texas Forts Trail Region and Texas Pecos Trail Region promoting the Texas Heritage Trail Regions and our partners!

Admission is FREE!

08/21/2026

Congrats to Visit Granbury for the unveiling of their new plaque celebrating the City of Granbury's designation as The Best Historic Small Town in America 5 times in a row by USA TODAY!

Pictured is the Texas Lakes Trail Region's Executive Director Wade Dillon and President Kristen Gibson along with Granbury city staff and volunteers at this morning's Rise and Grind. This event is held every Friday morning and brings together Granbury business owners to network, share, and grow.

08/20/2026

Visit Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site in Bonham!

08/19/2026

Yesterday, tourism and heritage professionals across the Texas Lakes Trail Region gathered in the City of Arlington, TX for our Annual Meeting! The turn-out was incredible and the enthusiasm and passion shown to promote the region's heritage tourism was palpable.

Presentations followed our board meeting, including a rousing invitation by Betsy Eudy of the National Medal of Honor Museum to visit and inviting the Texas Lakes Trail Region's involvement in the 2027 Texas Association of Museums Conference which will be hosted in Arlington! Steve Myers followed with a presentation on efforts to acknowledge the historic cattle trails that passed through the Texas Lakes Trail Region.

The 31-county Texas Lakes Trail Region features rich heritage, rich culture, and unforgettable history, including four Texas Historical Commission state historic sites.

Travel and tourism are vital to the Texas economy, and the 31- county Texas Lakes Trail Region is no exception. In 2025, direct travel spending in the Lakes Trail Region accounted for roughly $30.4 billion of the overall $98.7 billion spent by visitors to the state.

Visiting historic sites, communities, and museums is a significant component of the states and region’s travel industry. A 2015 study by The University of Texas at Austin and Rutgers University determined that more than 10.5 percent of all travel in Texas is heritage-related.

In 2025, the Texas travel industry continued to stabilize following the steep decline during 2020. Travel spending increased an estimated 1.2% compared to the prior year, and all economic indicators now exceed the pre-pandemic level.

Travel Matters

**$30.4 billion**
Direct Travel Spending in 2025

**$3.0 billion**
State and Local Taxes Generated from Travel Spending

Travel Means Jobs

**234.0 thousand**
Jobs directly supported by tourism spending within the region!

**$14.6 billion**
Travel-Generated Earnings

*Source: Dean Runyan and Associates, Travel Texas, April 2026*

Our thanks to Visit Arlington, Texas for hosting our annual meeting!

Become a Heritage Partner today! Reach out to our Executive Director Wade Dillon to get involved!

08/17/2026

If you registered for tomorrow's Annual meeting, here are parking details!

Please park in Lot B of Globe Life Field using the East bound Randol Mill Road entrance. Let the parking attendant know you are attending a meeting with the Arlington CVB. The Arlington CVB Offices are in Choctaw Stadium with the entrance facing Randol Mill Road. Please use the crosswalk from Lot B leading to the ACVB Office. You will be able to leave your car in Lot B for lunch at Texas Live!

08/17/2026

Last week, our Executive Director Wade Dillon and President Kristen Gibson of Visit Granbury attended the annual Summer meeting of the Texas Heritage Trail Regions in Amarillo, Texas.

Our friends with the Texas Plains Trail Region were lovely hosts; planning a week full of educational programming, training, and site seeing of all Amarillo has to offer. Palo Duro Canyon State Park was incredible and the steaks at The Big Texan were tremendous!

Pictured first are all ten Texas Heritage Trail Directors - responsible for the advocacy and promotion of heritage tourism all across Texas!