The Pinta Trail (Camino Pinta) was a natural pathway through the Hill Country, utilized by Native Americans and later linking to Spanish settlements to the southeast. The path extended about 180 miles northwest from San Antonio to the 1750s Spanish presidio at Menard. In the 1780s, pathfinder José Mares incorporated the link into a shorter route between Santa Fe and San Antonio. Maps, surveys and contemporary accounts include many variations of Pinta, all said to derive from the Spanish word pintar (to paint). Pinto ponies or the Piedra Pinta Mountains on period maps are two possible explanations. In 1839, John (Jack) Coffee Hays surveyed the area where the Pinta Trail crosses the Guadalupe River, designating the route as Paint Road. It became a consistent map feature soon after Texas statehood. In the 1840s, the German Adelsverein utilized the trail for access to its new settlements near the Pedernales River. Naturalists Ferdinand Lindheimer and Ferdinand von Roemer referenced the Pinta Trail in their 1845-47 excursions. Nicolaus Zink settled along the path in 1847, becoming the first pioneer in the future colony of Sisterdale. The trail's use diminished when new routes were established. Landscape artist Hermann Lungkwitz documented the historic road in his painting Old Pinta Crossing on the Guadalupe (1857). The trail went through the center of Kendall County. East of Boerne, it crossed the southern boundary of George Wilkins Kendall's ranch west of Post Oak Creek. The selection of the Pinta Trail as an ancient pathway stood the test of time. By connecting reliable water sources, good terrain and emerging settlements, the trail was an important factor in the development of the Hill Country and Kendall County. (2013)
Pinta Trail in Kendall County
The roadside stories worth pulling over for.
Pinta Trail in Kendall County is a historical marker in Boerne, Kendall County, dedicated in 2013. It is one of 60 historical markers documented in Kendall County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 110 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 29.7858, -98.6495 near Boerne. The nearest cataloged historic site is Ranzau-Arthur Ranzau (cemetery), about 1.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Cascade Cavern, Georg Cemetery, and Wren Cemetery.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507017601. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
Get Texas Roam — all 28,000 sites in your pocket
See this site and every marker, cemetery, courthouse, museum and landmark across Texas on one live map — find what's near you, get directions, and check in as you roam.
