Old Spanish Trail – Trading Between New Mexico & California
The vast landscapes of the American Southwest whisper tales of exploration, resilience, and the burgeoning trade that shaped the region. While the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails hold prominent places in the narrative of westward expansion, the Old Spanish Trail stands as a testament to the intricate network of commerce that connected New Mexico and California. Unlike its more famous counterparts, the Old Spanish Trail wasn’t primarily an emigrant route. Its rugged terrain rendered it largely unsuitable for wagon travel. Instead, it served as a vital artery for trade, weaving together existing Indigenous paths and the routes charted by intrepid explorers. This vital, if arduous, path played a significant role in the economic and social development of Southern California.
The Old Spanish Trail, stretching approximately 1,120 miles, carved its way through a diverse and unforgiving landscape. From towering mountains and arid deserts to deep canyons, the trail traversed six states: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California. It stands as one of the most challenging trade routes ever established within the United States. Although portions of the route were explored as early as 1776, it wasn’t until around 1830 that the Old Spanish Trail saw widespread use by pack trains.
The initial explorations of the region date back to 1765, when Juan Maria de Rivera ventured into the eastern reaches of southwest Colorado and southeast Utah. In 1776, Franciscan missionaries Francisco Atanasio Domínguez and Silvestre Vélez de Escalante embarked on an ambitious journey to reach the newly settled California. However, their expedition only reached the Great Basin in Utah before turning back to Santa Fe, New Mexico. These early attempts paved the way for future expeditions. Around 1827, trappers under the leadership of Jedediah Smith charted the central portion of the trail through Nevada and California, adding to the growing knowledge of the region.
The year 1829-30 marks a pivotal moment in the history of the Old Spanish Trail. It was during this period that Santa Fe merchant Antonio Armijo synthesized the information gleaned from previous explorers and led a trading party of 60 men and 100 mules to California. This expedition is widely considered the official "blazing" of the trail.
Armijo’s shrewd planning allowed him to bypass the most brutal stretches of the Mojave Desert. He navigated south of Death Valley, carefully following intermittent streams and discovering new springs to sustain his party. While the group arrived at the San Gabriel Mission in California intact, they were forced to consume mule meat during the final, grueling days of their journey. After successfully trading blankets and other goods, they returned to New Mexico. Armijo’s accomplishment was recognized with the title "Commander for the Discovery of the Route to California."
News of Armijo’s successful trade expedition spread quickly, spurring other traders to undertake regular journeys along the Old Spanish Trail. While trade was the primary driver, the trail also witnessed small-scale emigration and, regrettably, criminal activities. These included raids on California ranchos for horses and the abhorrent practice of the Indian slave trade. Despite these darker aspects, the Old Spanish Trail served as the first major thoroughfare across the American Southwest, earning the description of "the longest, crookedest, most arduous pack mule route in the history of America." Caravans typically departed Santa Fe in the autumn, capitalizing on cooler desert temperatures, and returned in the spring when fresh grass provided sustenance for the large herds of animals being driven eastward. A one-way journey could last anywhere from one and a half to three months.
Over the years, as numerous traders traversed the challenging landscape, several main routes and alternate paths emerged. One popular route followed the Colorado River to Needles, California. Others, seeking to trade with the Ute Indians, ventured as far north as Salt Lake, utilizing what became known as the "North Branch."
In 1844, John C. Fremont, famously known as "The Great Pathfinder," traveled the Old Spanish Trail guided by the skilled frontiersman Kit Carson. Fremont’s report for the U.S. Topographical Corps officially designated it as the "Old Spanish Trail," cementing its place in American history. The trade between New Mexico and California persisted until the mid-1850s, when the advent of freight wagons and the development of wagon trails rendered the old pack trail route obsolete.
The Old Spanish Trail officially ceased to exist in 1848, when the territory it traversed became part of the United States following the Mexican-American War. After the war, the western section of the trail was improved to accommodate wagons. In 1848, soldiers from the Mormon Battalion became the first to traverse it with wheeled vehicles, traveling from Los Angeles to the new Mormon capital at Salt Lake City. Subsequently, this portion of the trail served Mormons traveling between California and Utah, and it was often referred to as the Mormon or Salt Lake Trail.
While pack traders continued to utilize segments of the old route until the mid-1850s, the emergence of more developed roads and freight wagons gradually eclipsed its importance.
Beginning in the 1920s, and continuing intermittently in the following decades, various states and associations initiated efforts to mark portions of the historic trail. In 2002, Congress passed the Old Spanish Trail Recognition Act, which is now known as the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, ensuring its preservation and commemoration for future generations.
The Main Route
The primary route originated in Santa Fe and looped northward through Colorado and Utah. This detour was essential to avoid the formidable river gorges of the Grand and Glen Canyons along the Colorado River. From there, the trail descended across western Utah to Las Vegas, Nevada. The arduous journey then continued across the Mojave Desert, eventually reaching the San Gabriel Mission near Los Angeles. This challenging route crossed two deserts and was often marked by the remains of horses and mules that succumbed to thirst. Journeys were typically undertaken only during the winter months, when water was more readily available in the arid regions.
Traders typically followed the Rio Grande Valley from Santa Fe before turning northwest through northern New Mexico, crossing the Continental Divide, and reaching the San Juan River in Colorado. The route then continued across Colorado, passing near Mesa Verde and entering Utah east of Monticello.
The trail then proceeded north through rugged terrain to Spanish Valley, near present-day Moab, Utah. The traders of the past were astounded as they traversed the landscape near what are now Canyonlands and Arches National Parks before crossing the Colorado and Green Rivers to the southern part of the Great Basin and Mountain Meadows.
From there, they crossed the northwestern corner of Arizona before continuing to the artesian springs of Las Vegas, a vital watering hole where they would rest before venturing across the arid Mojave Desert. Stops were made at Mountain Springs, Nevada, before crossing into California, and at Resting Springs, Salt Springs, and Bitter Springs, each about a day’s travel apart and sometimes dry. The Mojave River, the only intermittently dependable water source, was then reached. If parts of the Mojave River were dry, travelers could sometimes find water by digging in the old riverbed. They followed the river to a point near Cajon Pass over the San Bernardino Mountains. Descending Cajon Pass to reach the coastal plains, the trail turned west along the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains to the Mission San Gabriel. This was a supply point for early travelers and the destination for the first trade caravan led by Antonio Armijo in 1829. Later traders, however, continued to what was then a small plaza in the sleepy town of Los Angeles, about nine miles along the trail.
Alternate routes for this journey existed through central Colorado and northwest Arizona.
Armijo Route
The original 1829 Armijo Route took a more direct path across northern Arizona and southern Utah, passing near present-day Monument Valley, Navajo National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and Pipe Spring National Monument.
From there, they crossed the northwestern corner of Arizona before continuing to the artesian springs of Las Vegas, a vital watering hole where they would rest before venturing across the arid Mojave Desert. Stops were made at Mountain Springs, Nevada, before crossing into California, and at Resting Springs, Salt Springs, and Bitter Springs, each about a day’s travel apart and sometimes dry. The Mojave River, the only intermittently dependable water source, was then reached. If parts of the Mojave River were dry, travelers could sometimes find water by digging in the old riverbed. They followed the river to a point near Cajon Pass over the San Bernardino Mountains. Descending Cajon Pass to reach the coastal plains, the trail turned west along the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains to the Mission San Gabriel. This was a supply point for early travelers and the destination for the first trade caravan led by Antonio Armijo in 1829. Later traders, however, continued to what was then a small plaza in the sleepy town of Los Angeles, about nine miles along the trail.
Alternate routes for this journey existed through central Colorado and northwest Arizona.
North Branch
The North Branch of the trail traveled from Santa Fe northeastward to Taos, New Mexico, and into Colorado near Great Sand Dunes National Park. From there, the trail crossed the Continental Divide and the Gunnison National Forest.
Although few traces of the early traders’ trail remain, the Old Spanish Trail is commemorated with numerous historical markers in the states it crossed, serving as a lasting reminder of the arduous journeys and vital trade that shaped the American Southwest.