Comanche Trail

Hundreds of warriors annually followed the trail southward in fall and returned with their booty, mostly livestock, in late winter or spring.

In the 18th century, the Spanish had established a line of missions and presidios to defend from what was then called New Spain from the Comanche and other Indian tribes.

The Comanche took advantage of the situation by raiding hundreds of miles deep into Mexico for livestock which they marketed in the United States.

[7][8] From there the Comanche Trail ran east past the Caprock Escarpment and on across the Llano Estacado by two separate routes.

Southern branches extended into northern Mexico through Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango to Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi, while an eastern fork ran from Big Spring, Texas southeast to Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas.

To raid Mexico, the Comanche Trail started in Big Spring, Texas and penetrated deep into Mexico by several routes.