Old Spanish National Historic Trail

Follow the routes of mule pack trains across the Southwest on the Old Spanish National Historic Trail between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Los Angeles, California. New Mexican traders moved locally produced merchandise across what are now six states to exchange for mules and horses.

Santa Rosa de Lima de Abiquiú, Abiquiú, New Mexico

Santa Rosa de Lima de Abiquiú provided a way station for travelers along the Old Spanish Trail in the 1800s. It is privately owned by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

crumbling adobe structure with blue sky

Rio Chama River, Abiquiú, New Mexico

This section of the Rio Chama River, tributary of the Rio Grande, is located about six miles north of Abiquiú, New Mexico and flows through the Carson National Forest.

hikers walk beside a river with cottonwoods alongside the river

Sierra Blanca, San Luis Valley, Colorado

Sierra Blanca is a prominent mountain in the Sangre de Cristo Range along San Luis Valley on Highway 17. Locating landmarks were essential to traveling the Old Spanish Trail.

desert scrub in foreground, spiky mountains in background, clouds

San Rafael Swell, Utah

The San Rafael Swell is a huge craggy geologic feature (an anticline), about 75 miles by 40 miles, located in south-central Utah approximately 30 miles west of Green River.

desert scenery, dead tree, blue sky with puffy coulds

Virgin River Canyon, Arizona

This section of the Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area is off Interstate 15 about 20 miles southwest of St. George, Utah and about 20 miles northeast of Mesquite, Nevada

a river carves through the landscape, greenery in the foreground, mountains and redrock backdrop

Old Spanish Trail segment, Nevada

This trail segment is 5.25 miles, and is part of the Old Spanish Trail/Mormon Road Historic District, outside Blue Diamond, Clark County, Nevada.

rocky trail through desert with yucca, mountain in the background

Mojave Road, California

Old Spanish Trail travelers used this section of the historic Mojave Road is within Mojave National Preserve.

trail through desert scrub with Joshua trees, mountains in the distance, puffy clouds