09/12/2026
Quanah Parker Trail arrows stand a little taller today, Saturday, Sept. 12 – Quanah Parker Day in Texas. The statewide observance, which Texas Governor Greg Abbott decreed for the second Saturday of each September until 2029, commemorates the life of Comanche Chief Quanah Parker.
In the Texas Plains Trail Region, volunteer leaders launched the Quanah Parker Trail project in 2010, creating opportunities for communities throughout the region to recognize and share this important history. We encourage you to honor Quanah Parker Day by paying a visit to a nearby steel arrow sculpture marking a county’s inclusion on the Quanah Parker Trail (QPT). Take a stand with Quanah Parker and the arrow, share your photos with us on social media, and be sure to tell your family and friends about your adventure.
The QPT within the Texas Plains Trail Region is conceptual in nature, connecting communities through a shared history rather than following a single physical route. Throughout the region, counties installed 88 steel arrows created by sculptor and welder Charles A. Smith (1943–2018) to commemorate their inclusion in the Comanchería, the territorial range of the Comanches during the 19th century. The trail is named for Quanah Parker, one of the most recognized Comanche leaders associated with this region. The heart of the story is this: Every county within the Texas Plains Trail Region was once part of the territory of the Comanches, known as the Comanchería.
Later this year, a new Quanah Parker Trail website will launch, offering travelers an enhanced way to discover the trail, locate its iconic steel arrows, and learn more about the history and stories connected to each site. The new resource will help carry the legacy of the Quanah Parker Trail forward, encouraging visitors to explore the Comanchería landscape and better understand the history that connects communities across the Texas Plains Trail Region.
