Old Spanish Trail
Old Spanish Trail Overview
Running through arid deserts, deep canyons, and high mountains, the Old Spanish Trail was a 700-mile trade route that connected Northern New Mexico to California.
Old Spanish Trail History
John C. Fremont mentioned the route in his 1844 publication for the US Topographical Corps acknowledging the trail had been used by the Spaniards since the 16th century. He wrote that the trail had been in use for the past 15 years.
Timeline
- 1988 – A section of the trail in Arches National Park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 2001 – The section of the Trail that runs across Nevada from the Arizona border to California was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Old Spanish Trail/Mormon Road Historic District.
- December 2002 – The Old Spanish Trail was designated by Congress as part of the National Trails System as Old Spanish Trail National Historic Trail.
Range
The Old Spanish Trail routed through Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.
Historic Markers and Places
- #31: Old Spanish Trail in Clark County, Nevada. Blue marker. Coordinates: 36.804102, -114.068703. Stretching for 130 miles across Clark County, this historic horse trail became Nevada’s first route of commerce in 1829 when trade was initiated between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. The trail was later used by the wagons of the “49ers” and by Mormon pioneers. Concrete posts marking the trail were erected in 1965. NEVADA STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 31
- #32: Old Spanish Trail in Clark County, Nevada. Concrete marker. Coordinates: 36.181224, -115.133064. Stretching for 130 miles across Clark County, this historic horse trail became Nevada’s first route of commerce in 1829 when trade was initiated between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. The trail was later used by the wagons of the “49ers” and by Mormon pioneers. Concrete posts marking the trail were erected in 1965. NEVADA STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 32
- #33: The Old Spanish Trail in Clark County, Nevada. Stone marker. Coordinates: 36.046865, -115.406494. Stretching for 130 miles across Clark County, this historic horse trail became Nevada’s first route of commerce in 1829 when trade was initiated between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. The trail was later used by the wagons of the “49ers” and by Mormon pioneers. Concrete posts marking the trail were erected in 1965. NEVADA STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 33
- #34: The Old Spanish Trail in Clark County, Nevada. Stone marker. Coordinates: 36.018350, -115.506856. Stretching for 130 miles across Clark County, this historic horse trail became Nevada’s first route of commerce in 1829 when trade was initiated between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. The trail was later used by the wagons of the “49ers” and by Mormon pioneers. Concrete posts marking the trail were erected in 1965. NEVADA STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 34
- #139: Old Spanish Trail (The Journey of the Dead Man) Coordinate: 36.499500, -114.760972 (Awaiting install.) This is the longest stretch along the Old Spanish Trail without water. It was littered with the skeletons of animals and parts of wagons abandoned along the sandy desert. John C. Frémont crossed this section in 1844. Transcription: Early Spanish traders named the fifty-five dry miles separating Las Vegas and the Muddy River the Journada Del Muerto (Journey of The Dead Man). This longest stretch without water along the Old Spanish Trail was littered with the skeletons of animals and parts of wagons abandoned along the sandy desert. Most experienced travelers made the trip at night. John C. Frémont crossed the Journada in 1844 and commented: “We ate the barrel cactus and moistened our mouths with the acid of the sour dock. Hourly expecting to find water, we continued to press on to midnight, when after a hard and uninterrupted march of 16 hours, our wild mules began running ahead; and in a mile or two we came to a bold running stream (the Muddy River).” STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 139
- #141: Old Spanish Trail (Armijo’s Route). Coordinates: 36.097652, -114.904643. In 1830, the first pack train to pass from Santa Fe to Los Angeles crossed the Las Vegas Valley along Antonio Armijo’s route. Until the end of the Mexican War in 1848, this route was the principal means of transportation between the Mexican territories of New Mexico and California. Transcription: On January 8, 1830, the first pack train to pass from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles crossed Las Vegas Valley. Antonio Armijo, a merchant in Santa Fe, commanded the train and roughly sixty men. The successful completion of the journey opened a trade route between the two Mexican provinces of New Mexico and California. Following the “longest, crookedest, most arduous pack mule route in the history of America,” Armijo’s party and others brought woolen goods to Los Angeles and returned to Santa Fe driving herds of valuable mules and horses. Later termed the Old Spanish Trail, this route was the principal means of transportation between the two Mexican territories, until the end of the Mexican War in 1848. SOUTHERN NEVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 141
- #142: Old Spanish Trail (Mountain Springs Pass). Coordinates: 35.998436, -115.447709. Marker down. This portion of the Old Spanish Trail was discovered in January 1830, by Antonio Armijo. The springs just north of this marker provided excellent water and fed meadows of grass for draft animals. Transcription: This portion of the Old Spanish Trail was discovered in January 1830, by Antonio Armijo during his first trip from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. The springs just north of this marker provided excellent water and fed meadows of luxuriant grass for draft animals. Two days were required to travel between Las Vegas and Mountain Springs Pass. The trip was broken at Cottonwood Springs, the site of Blue Diamond, where an early start was usually made in order to climb the pass by nightfall. Early travelers often referred to the area as Piute Springs, but the present title has been used for over a century. The altitude made Mountain Springs one of the favorite camping spots on the trail. NEVADA STATE PARK SYSTEM NORTHERN NEVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 142