Old Spanish Trail Old Spanish National Historic Trail / New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California

National Park Service Bureau of Land Management Official Map & Department of the Interior Guide - Large Print Official Map and Guide Formatted for ADA standards at 11” x 17” print size. . . . the longest, hats, shawls, and quilts. crookedest, most arduous pack mule route in the By this time Santa Fe history of America. . . is witnessing increased economic activity It is 1829, eight years brought on by successful after Mexico gained American and Mexican independence from trade. Large quantities of Spain. New Mexican manufactured products traders travel overland arrive in New Mexico to establish new from the eastern United commercial relations States along the Santa with frontier settlements Fe Trail. Many goods are in California. They also traveling along El carry locally produced Camino Real de Tierra merchandise to exchange Adentro to and from the for mules and horses. interior of Mexico. Items include serapes, blankets, ponchos, and Connecting Two socks; a variety of hides Mexican Provinces – gamuzas (chamois), In 1829, La Villa Real de Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis, provincial capital of buffalo robes, bear and New Mexico, was just a dusty frontier town that sheltered a mix of Spanish colonial beaver skins; as well as families, newer Mexican arrivals, displaced

Rev. 02/06/13 Indians, and a small, but growing number Commerce along the Old Spanish Trail of Americans. Over 1,000 miles to the west, began as a legitimate barter for horses and the Pueblo de la Reina de los Angeles was mules, but some traders and adventurers an even smaller ranch town. Consisting of found it easier to steal livestock than to little more than a church and plaza, and a obtain it legally. Americans claiming to be few homes and government buildings, it beaver trappers, fugitive Indians from the was the largest Mexican community in an missions, gentile Indians from the frontier, area characterized by dispersed ranches, and renegade New Mexicans teamed decaying Spanish missions, and Indian together to gather horses and mules to take villages. illegally back to New Mexico. In reaction to these widespread raids, California During the winter of 1829-1830, Antonio authorities tried to recapture the stock and Armijo led a caravan of 60 men and 100 punish the thieves but were never able to pack mules from New Mexico to Mission control the illicit trade. San Gabriel in California, east of Los Angeles. The caravan carried woolen rugs The line of march of this strange cavalcade and blankets produced in New Mexico to occupied an extent of more than a mile... trade for horses and mules. Near this motley crowd we sojourned for one night...Their pack-saddles and bales had been Other trade parties soon followed. Some taken off and carefully piled, so as not only to found alternative routes that together protect them from damp, but to form a sort of became known as the Old Spanish Trail. barricade or fort for their owner. From one It took Armijo’s group about 12 weeks to side to the other of these little corrals of goods reach California and six weeks to return on a Mexican blanket was stretched, under the trail historians LeRoy and Ann Hafen which the trader lay smoking his cigarrito… called, “the longest, crookedest, most —Lieutenant George Brewerton, 1848 arduous pack mule route in the history of America.” Packing the Train Mules and Men Along the Old Spanish Trail sound animals, good packing equipment, and a capable The lands crossed by the Old Spanish Trail crew were the prerequisites of a successful were alluring. For decades missionaries, fur pack train. The success of the trip depended trappers, on the skills and abilities of those who American Indians, and others ventured packed and drove the animals that carried repeatedly into and across the vast territory the merchandise. between New Mexico and California. New Mexicans had a well-deserved By the time Armijo started his trip, New reputation as excellent horsemen and Mexican traders were familiar with the muleteers. American eyewitnesses routes others had followed and utilized the marveled at the dexterity and skill with cumulative geographic knowledge gained which they harnessed and adjusted packs from previous expeditions. of merchandise. Experienced travelers suggested that New Mexicans should always The trips were arduous. Dramatically be used as teamsters for they “can catch changing terrain and climate posed major up and roll up in half the time the average challenges. Caravans lost their way, suffered person does.” from thirst, and were forced to eat some of their pack mules when supplies ran out. Packers were always in demand and utilized Animals also suffered in the harsh desert a variety of skills. They secured loads with environment and endured severe weather. intricate knots, splices and hitches; they acted as veterinarians and blacksmiths. They estimated the safe carrying capacity of The slave trade changed the lifeways of a mule, and identified and treated animals American Indians through depopulation suffering from improperly balanced loads. and loss of traditional knowledge. Human They timed the travel day to stop at a captivity was part of the reality of the West, meadow or creek bottom that provided affecting all who lived in the region. good forage. Packers also had to be able to lift heavy loads, be good farriers, and “accomplish marvels with the axe and screw The Railroad and the key and a young sapling for a lever.” End of the Trail Beginning in the mid-1840s, new routes Beasts of Burden such as wagon roads carried troops fighting Mules had incredible strength and in the Mexican- endurance, fared better than horses where American War, pioneers bound for water was scarce and forage poor, and California, miners joining the gold rush, recovered more rapidly after periods of and still more traders into the West. A few hardship. Their hard and small hoofs notable Americans used the trail. In 1847 withstood the shock and abrasion of rocky, and 1848, Kit Carson carried military boulder-strewn terrain. dispatches east along the Old Spanish Trail. Military attaché George Brewerton kept a detailed account of his trip. John C. The Equipment Frémont led U.S. government-sponsored exploratory survey trips to plan for the While the mule was the heart of the advent of railroads in the West. transportation system, the packing equipment played an equally significant By 1869, however, a rail route connected role. The aparejo (packsaddle) was the the plains of the Midwest and San Francisco central piece of gear and carried heavy, Bay. Portions of the Old Spanish Trail odd-sized items safely over long distances evolved into wagon roads for local travel, without injuring the animal. It was but the days of cross-country mule caravans described by one observer as “nearer to on the Old Spanish Trail had ended. what I consider perfection in a pack saddle, than any other form of pack saddle yet invented.” [photo caption] Red Pass, California

Witness: Illegal Captivity [artwork caption] View of Santa Fe in 1846 by John W. Abert Long before traders ventured into this region, American Indians traveled and traded along many of the paths that the [artwork caption] Detail, San Gabriel Mission, 1832, by trade caravans later followed. Petroglyphs Ferdinand Deppe Courtesy Sánta Barbara show us that the mule caravans were Mission Archive Library witnessed by American Indians along the route. Indian guides had lengthy contact [photo caption] with Mexican and American traders. Courtesy Palace of the Governors Photo Archives (NMHM/DCA), 155329 Trade sometimes involved the illegal exchange of horses, mules, and even [photo caption] human beings. Some captives, including Courtesy Laws Railroad Museum American Indians, Spaniards, and Mexicans were ransomed at the frequent trade fairs [photo caption] that characterized the western economy. Jeanne Howerton [photo caption] 1821 Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Mexico gains independence from Spain. [photo caption] 1825 Ben Wittick, Palace of the Governors Antoine Robidoux builds Fort ncompahgre (Fort Robidoux) near resent-day Delta, [photo caption] Colorado, where Indians and traders Photo Archives (NMHM/DCA), 015870 bargained for goods. Exploring the Trail 1826 Jeddediah S. Smith leads a small party of Timeline fur trappers westward from Cache Valley, Utah. Early Explorations Trail Milestones 1598 Don Juan de Oñate establishes San Juan 1829 Antonio Armijo leads the first trade caravan de los Caballeros (near modern Ohkay from Abiquiú to Los Angeles, opening the Owingeh Pueblo), the first Spanish Old Spanish Trail. settlement in New Mexico. 1831 1610 William Wolfskill and George C. Yount Don Pedro de Peralta founds Santa Fe, the blaze a more northern route that ascends new capital of New Mexico. into central Utah before heading southwest into California. 1765 Juan María Antonio Rivera leads two parties from New Mexico to explore southwestern 1834 José Avieta and 125 men arrive at Los Colorado and southeastern Utah. Angeles carrying 1,645 serapes, 314 blankets, and other woolen goods. 1774 Father Francisco Hermenegildo Garcés sets out from southern Arizona to explore a 1837 José María Chávez and family settle in what path to the California missions. He follows became known as the Chávez Ravine in Los the Mojave River and reaches Mission San Angeles. Gabriel. 1839 1776 José Antonio Salazar arrives in California Franciscan priests, Francisco Atanasio at the head of a group of 75 men; Francisco Domínguez and Francisco Silvestre Vélez de Quintana carries domestic manufactures Escalante follow Rivera’s route to the Great worth $78.25. Basin in western Utah. 1841 1781 Francisco Estevan Vigil arrives at Los Spanish colonials establish El Pueblo de la Angeles and presents a passport and Reina de los Angeles in California. instructions describing the duties and responsibilities of a commander of a de Tierra Adentro (the Royal Road to the caravan. Interior Lands) was a wagon road between Mexico City and Santa Fe. The Santa Fe Trail, an international wagon route that 1842 crossed the plains, linked Missouri with A party of 40 New Mexicans from Abiquiú Santa Fe. settles at Agua Mansa and Politana in California; Francisco Estevan Vigil and 194 The trails witnessed dramatic growth in use men are issued passports carrying 4,150 after 1821, when a large and broad array of California animals back to New Mexico. merchandise came to New Mexico from the Eastern United States and Europe. 1843 Merchants took many of these products Juan Arce hauls merchandise worth further into Mexico along El Camino Real $487.50. de Tierra Adentro. 1844 Old Spanish Trail Travel Francisco Rael carries domestic The Old Spanish Trail’s rugged terrain manufactures and sheep worth $1,748. discouraged the use of wagons. It was always a pack route, mainly used by men 1846 and mules. The Mexican-American War begins. Traders used different routes from trip to trip, depending on weather and water. 1848 Caravans left New Mexico in the late Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ends summer or fall and returned from California Mexican-American War; the Southwest in the spring. Early winter snows blocked becomes U.S. territory; California Gold mountain passes and travelers chose their Rush begins routes accordingly. In the spring, raders worried about late snows and floods. On 1849 every trip, they worried about water and Commercial caravans across the Old forage, often racing to beat other caravans Spanish Trail largely cease as more direct to known sources. transportation routes develop [map caption] All routes came together at Fork of Roads, 2002 east of present-day Barstow in the Mojave The Old Spanish National Historic Trail is desert, and then crossed Cajon Pass between designated by Congress the San Gabriel and San Bernadino Mountains to Coastal California. After negotiating the [map caption] pass, traders had an easy two to three days Earlier explorations provided essential travel to the San Gabriel Mission and beyond knowledge about the lands and cultures to Los Angeles. between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. As trading opportunities opened up, traders sought the [map caption] quickest and safest route. The Mojave Road: A 188-mile crossing of the Mojave Desert long used by area Indians and by Spanish explorers and missionaries, it was Three Trails first traveled by Jedediah Smith, an American Three trails, including the Old Spanish trapper, in 1826. Trail, merged in Santa Fe. El Camino Real [map caption] Arizona The Northern Route: First blazed by William • Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Wolfskill and George C. Yount in 1831, this • Grand Canyon/Parashant National route veered northwest from Abiquiú through Monument Southern Colorado and central Utah. It • Navajo National Monument avoided the rugged canyons of the Colorado • Pipe Spring National Monument River that the Armijo party had encountered and took advantage of the better water and pasture resources across central Utah before California returning to the Colorado River and Armijo’s • Desert Discovery Center, Barstow route not far from Las Vegas. • El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument [map caption] • Mission San Gabriel, San Gabriel The Armijo Route: The first complete trip • Mojave National Preserve across the trail began in Abiquiú, northwest • Mojave River Valley Museum, Barstow of Santa Fe. The Armijo party followed well- • San Bernardino County Museum, known trails northwest to the San Juan River, Redlands then nearly due west to the Virgin River. They used the Crossing of the Fathers, cut into Colorado rock canyon wall some 75 years earlier by the • Anasazi Heritage Center/Canyons of the Domínguez-Escalante party. Armijo’s caravan Ancients National Monument went down the Muddy River and across the • Colorado National Monument Mojave Desert to the Amargosa and Mojave Rivers, through Cajon Pass and down to • Curecanti National Recreation Area Mission San Gabriel. • Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area [map caption] • Fort Garland Museum, Fort Garland The North Branch: This route followed well- • Fort Uncompaghre, Delta known trapper and trade routes north • Great Sand Dunes National Park & through the Rio Grande gorge to Taos and Preserve into southern Colorado. It then went west • Gunnison Gorge National Conservation through Cochetopa Pass, largely open during Area the winter when other passes were snowed • McInnis Canyons National Conservation in and up the Gunnison River valley, rejoining Area the Northern Route near present-day Green • Southern Ute Cultural Center and River, Utah. Museum, Ignacio • Ute Museum and Memorial Site, Explore Today Montrose It is difficult to see traces of the trail in the Nevada modern landscape. Most of the routes of • Lake Mead National Recreation Area the Old Spanish Trail have been reclaimed • Lost City Museum, Overton by nature or changed by later use. However, • Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Park some of the landmarks that guided trail • Red Rock Canyon National Conservation travelers can still be seen today. Area • Springs Preserve, Las Vegas The following sites along the trail offer the opportunity to experience some of the New Mexico natural landscapes crossed by the trail. They • Aztec Ruins National Monument are only a small sampling of places you can • Palace of the Governors and New Mexico visit associated with the trail. You can learn History Museum, Santa Fe more by visiting the official trail websites. • Rio Grande Gorge Visitor Center, Taos • Spanish Colonial Art Museum, Santa Fe

Utah • Arches National Park • Beaver Wash Dam National Conservation Area • Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument • John Wesley Powell River History Museum, Green River • Museum of the San Rafael, Castle Dale Trail Administration • Dan O’Leary Museum, Moab The Old Spanish National Historic Trail • Iron Mission State Park, Cedar City was designated by Congress in 2002. The trail runs through New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California. The Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service administer the trail together to encourage preservation and public use. These two federal agencies work in close partnership with the Old Spanish Trail Association, American Indian tribes, state, county, and municipal governmental agencies, private landowners, nonprofit groups, and many others.

For more information, including more site locations and trip planning tools, please visit our official trail websites:

Bureau of Land Management Utah State Office www.blm.gov/ut

National Park Service National Trails Intermountain Region www.nps.gov/olsp

Volunteer Organization Old Spanish Trail Association www.oldspanishtrail.org