Plan Your Visit

Get here by car

Sabine County, with population of approximately 10,100 residents, is located in Deep East Texas, nestled between the Sabine and Angelina national forests and Toledo Bend Reservoir.

Get here by air

If your visit to the ‘Remembering Columbia’ Museum involves a flight, you may have a number of options. Nearby cities with commercial airline service include: Tyler, Longview, Shreveport, Houston, Beaumont, Alexandria, Lake Charles, and Dallas.

Nearby public airports that can accommodate private aircraft include: A.L. Mangham Regional Airport (Nacogdoches), Angelina County Airport (Lufkin), Rusk County Airport (Henderson), Pineland Municipal Airport, Jasper County- Bell Field, and Center Municipal Airport.

Where to stay

Sabine County is home to a number of bed & breakfasts, cabins, resorts, RV parks, and campgrounds. Please visit the Sabine County Tourist Commission for more information on accommodations.

Locally, a number of properties are also listed on Airbnb and Vrbo.

Hotels/motels nearby are located in San Augustine, Center, and Many, Louisiana. Lufkin and Nacogdoches also provide a wide number of options.

Where to eat

Hemphill is home to a number of delicious eateries that serve barbecue, Tex-Mex, seafood, and home cooking, to name a few. Please visit the Sabine County Tourist Commission for a list of nearby restaurants.

Group tours

The ‘Remembering Columbia’ Museum can accommodate groups of all sizes. We are a perfect destination for school field trips, home school groups, as well as community and civic organizations. Please contact the museum in advance to discuss customizing your visit to suit your group’s needs. Outside of normal operating hours, the museum can arrange appointments on Sundays and Mondays for groups of 10 or more.

Other area attractions

Sabine County is home to a number of historic sites and attractions.

Downtown Hemphill Square
Enjoy shopping and dining in our quaint downtown area, which is home to a number of boutiques and restaurants. Shop for antiques, home décor, clothing, or grab a bite to eat. Learn more, here.

Sabine County Historical Jail Museum
Located on the Courthouse Square in Hemphill. The jail was built in 1904 and was used as Sabine County Jail until 1982. This is one of two jails in Texas that had a hanging rope. It is now known as Sabine County Jail Museum and Vergie Speights Memorial Library. The jail is rich in history, rare books for viewing and many interesting exhibits. You can view the rope used in one of the hangings and the trap door. The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.

J.R. Huffman Public Library
Since opening its doors in 1994 and becoming a member of the Houston Area Library System in 1995, the library has become a wonderful resource and attraction for the community. The library also offers a charming children’s area with books and programs including Summer Readers Theater. Computers are available for public use as well as a variety of office equipment and services. Conference room with seating for 24 and theatre, which accommodates 100, is available for meetings.

Sabine National Forest
Sabine National Forest was established in 1934. There are 160,798 acres of forest land. The Sabine National Forest consist of 64 acres in Jasper County, 95,454 acres in Sabine County, 59,212 acres in Shelby County and 1,781 acres in Newton County.

The Moore Plantation, a Cooperative Wildlife Management Area, consists of 26,455 acres of the 95,454 acres of forest land located in Sabine County.

Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Sabine County is home to two of America’s most popular black bass fishing lakes, Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn. Both lakes are surrounded in part by the lush green of the Angelina National Forest or the Sabine National Forest, giving the view from either lake a pristine horizon of tall pines and sturdy hardwoods.

Lake Sam Rayburn is approximately 79 miles long and is the largest reservoir that lies completely within the boundaries of Texas. Lake Sam Rayburn also has approximately 600 miles of shoreline.

Managing these two lakes and the surrounding woodlands falls to several governing bodies including the Sabine River Authority, Texas Parks & Wildlife, US Forest Service, and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Additionally, the lakes are home to a number of species of both game and protected birds including a variety of waterfowl and our National Bird, the Bald Eagle.

Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend Reservoir is a reservoir on the Sabine River between Texas and Louisiana. The lake has an area of 185,000 acres, the largest man-made body of water in Texas, the largest in the South, and the fifth largest in the United States. Toledo Bend, with its 1,200 miles (1,900 km) of shoreline, offers an almost unlimited opportunity for recreational development and is a major element in serving the growing demand for water oriented outdoor recreation. Both private and public facilities are available for swimming, boating, picnicking, fishing, camping, hunting, and sightseeing. The reservoir is a popular location for freshwater fishing with many clubs hosting tournaments.

Trail Between The Lakes
The Trail Between The Lakes is located in the southern portion of Sabine County. The trail is a 28-mile hiking trail that winds through the Sabine National Forest. The trail is easy to follow. It is marked with rectangular shaped tags that are attached to the trees at approximately 5 feet above the ground. Vertical tags indicate that the trail continues straight ahead. A single tag with the long side leaning to the left indicates a left turn and double tags with the long sides leaning to the right indicate a hard right turn.

The Trail Between the Lakes is designated for hiking only; no horses, no off-road vehicles, and no mountain bikes are allowed.

There are many opportunities to camp along the route. However, camping is not allowed in the during deer hunting season or in areas where red-cockaded woodpeckers are appear in the Moore Plantation Wildlife Management Area. Red-cockaded woodpeckers are listed as an endangered species. Woodpecker colony boundaries are marked with aqua-green paint and boundary signs. Please contact the US Forest Service for more information prior to camping in any national forest land.

Sabine County Courthouse
Located in the county seat of Hemphill. The Courthouse was completed around 1910 and is one of East Texas’ best-known landmarks. It has been restored and the old curved original steps on the North side have been rebuilt. A new addition is the seal in the tile on the second floor. It has special significance for both Sabine County and Texas history.

McMahan Chapel
Located on Spur 35 off Highway 21 near Geneva. This is the oldest Protestant church that has had continuous service in Texas. The first church building was of logs built in 1837. The first pastor was Rev. Littleton Fowler. In compliance with his request, he was buried beneath the pulpit of the chapel. The second building was erected in 1872, the third in 1900, and the present landmark Chapel was completed in 1949. All these buildings have occupied the same spot in order that the grave of Rev. Fowler would not be disturbed. The Chapel is open every day to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Arthur Temple Senior Memorial Library
The Arthur Temple Sr. Memorial Library was built in 1969 and renovated in 1995. Librarian Donna Nichols & staff serve the city of Pineland in Sabine County. The Arthur Temple Senior Memorial Library is located in Pineland, Texas.

Pineywoods Vineyard
A family-owned-and-operated vineyard and winery in Sabine County, hidden in the pine forests of Deep East Texas. Our staple vine is Blanc du Bois, the “White of the Woods.”

City of Pineland
At Pineland, Sabine County’s lumbering history is reflected in an old logging locomotive, a railroad depot, and a unique collection of sawmill homes from the early 1900’s. These attractions can be found at the Pineland City Park alongside modern tennis courts, softball/baseball fields, a basketball court, and outdoor amphitheater that sits in a beautiful wooded park.

El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail
Designated as a National Historic Trail in 2004, the “El Camino Real de Los Tejas” has existed for more than 300 years. Marked by the Spaniards and the French, the trail was followed by such men as Moses Austin and his son, Stephen Fuller Austin (The Father of Texas), Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, and early missionaries of multiple faiths.

Gaines-Oliphint House
Located in Pendleton Harbor Subdivision off Highway 21, east of Milam. Turn right at the guardhouse, 1 block then left. This is the oldest standing log house in Texas. The house is one of the earliest Pre-Republic, Anglo-American structures in Texas. It was built around 1818 and is on the National Register. Features the Gaines-Oliphint Pioneer Day event on the 3rd Saturday in April.

Causey House
Located in El Camino Park in Milam. This restored one-story log cabin was built about 1830. It was moved to its present location and restored by local volunteers.

Sabine County Cemeteries
Sabine County has many old cemeteries of significance to the history of Texas. Information is available at the Sabine County Jail Museum or the Sabine County Chamber of Commerce.

Historical Markers
There are 79 Historical Markers and Memorials in Sabine County.

National Register of Historic Places – Sabine County, Texas

• Gaines-Oliphint House – 1977

Texas Historical Commission Historic Landmark Markers – Sabine County, Texas

• Cedar Grove Baptist Church – 2014
• Clark-James House – 2013
• Harper Chapel Church – 2005
• Jones-Sweet House – 1996
• Nethery Store – 2009
• Sabine County Courthouse – 1982
• Starr Funeral Home – 2013
• United Methodist Church #3 (McMahan’s Chapel) – 1991
• William F. and Bertha Sutor Goodrich House – 2003

Texas Historical Commission Historic Cemetery Markers – Sabine County, Texas

• Clark-Dickey-Smith Cemetery – 1996
• Dennis Slave Cemetery – 1982
• Ener Cemetery – 2006
• Fairmont Cemetery – 2004
• Garlington Cemetery Sabine/Newton County Line – 2001
• Gellatly Cemetery – 1992
• Geneva Myrtle Springs Cemetery – 2010
• Harper Chapel Cemetery – 2004
• Hemphill Cemetery – 1981
• Isaac Low Cemetery – 1981
• James Frederick Gomer Cemetery – 2011
• Macedonia Cemetery – 2000
• McGown Cemetery – 1998
• Meador Cemetery – 1983
• Milam Cemetery – 2011
• Mill Creek Cemetery Sabine/Newton County Line – 2004
• Mt. Sinai Cemetery – 2004