El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail

The dominant safety concern at El Camino Real de los Tejas isn't weather — it's the surrounding area's crime rate. Bastrop County logged a violent crime rate of 416 per 100,000 residents in 2023, which runs notably higher than the Texas statewide average. Because this is a trail corridor rather than an enclosed park with ranger patrols, campers and day visitors move through less-monitored stretches of rural and semi-rural land where response times can be slow.

Keep valuables locked in your vehicle's trunk rather than visible through windows, and travel the trail in groups rather than solo, especially at dusk. On the weather side, Bastrop County recorded 10 hail events last year, so store a moving blanket or foam pads in your RV to protect skylights and vents during pop-up afternoon storms. Check the National Weather Service radar before heading out each morning, since thunderstorm wind events can develop quickly across open Texas terrain.