Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail

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The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is a 1,210 mile United States national historic trail that runs from Nogales, Arizona, on the U.S.-Mexico border, to San Francisco, California. The Trail commemorates the 1775–1776 route that Spanish commander Juan Bautista de Anza took to build a presidio and mission near San Francisco Bay.

On January 7, 1781 Father Francisco Garcés established Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuñer and a nearby pueblo was to protect the Anza Trail where it forded the Colorado River. The settlements were inadequately supported, and Spanish colonists seized the best lands, destroyed the Indians' crops, and generally igonored the rights of the local natives. In retaliation, the Quechan (Yuma) Indians and their allies attacked and destroyed the installation between July 17 and July 19, 1781. The natives' victory closed this crossing and seriously crippled future communications between Alta California and Mexico.

Along the Trail route, visitors can experience the varied landscapes similar to those the expedition saw; learn the stories of the expedition, its members, and descendants; better understand the Native American role in the expedition and the diversity of their cultures; and appreciate the extent of the effects of Spanish colonial settlement of Arizona and California. The Trail was designated a National Historic Trail in 1990 and a National Millennium Trail in 1999. In 2005, Caltrans began posting signs on roads that overlap with the trail route, so that California drivers can now follow the trail.

Cottonwood tree along Santa Cruz River on Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.

Sign along Anza Trail.

Reenactment of the arrival of de Anza at Tubac.

California road signage for the Anza Trail.

[edit] See also

• Spanish missions in California

[edit] External links

• National Park Service: Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
• Trails and Roads by County
• A Recent Journey Along the Anza Trail

v • d • e Protected Areas of Arizona National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park • Petrified Forest National Park • Saguaro National Park • Tumacácori National Historical Park • Fort Bowie National Historic Site • Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site • Coronado National Memorial • Glen Canyon National Recreation Area • Lake Mead National Recreation Area • Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail National Monuments National Park Service: Canyon de Chelly • Casa Grande Ruins • Chiricahua • Grand Canyon-Parashant • Hohokam Pima • Montezuma Castle • Navajo • Organ Pipe Cactus • Pipe Spring • Sunset Crater Volcano • Tonto • Tuzigoot • Walnut Canyon • Wupatki Bureau of Land Management: Agua Fria • Ironwood Forest • Sonoran Desert • Vermilion Cliffs State Parks Northern Region: Dead Horse Ranch • Fool Hollow Lake • Fort Verde • Homolovi Ruins • Jerome • Lyman Lake • Red Rock • Riordan Mansion • Slide Rock • Tonto Natural Bridge Southern Region: Boyce Thompson Arboretum • Catalina • Kartchner Caverns • Lost Dutchman • McFarland • Oracle • Patagonia Lake • Picacho Peak • Roper Lake • Sonoita Creek Natural Area • Tombstone Courthouse • Tubac Presidio Western Region: Alamo Lake • Buckskin Mountain • Cattail Cove • Lake Havasu • Yuma Crossing • Yuma Territorial Prison Municipal Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area • South Mountain Park • Papago Park Arizona State Parks (web)