Near Watrous in Mora County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Trail Sites to the North and East
Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Fort Union National Monument
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 22, 2015
1. Trail Sites to the North and East Marker
The Santa Fe Trail was a 900-mile overland road that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Near here, the trail split into the Mountain Route and the Cimarron Route and travelers had to decide which to take to continue east to Missouri. The Cimarron Route was the most direct path but lack of water and passage through American Indian lands made it no less hazardous than the Mountain Route. Today both routes are part of the Santa Fe National Historic Trail.
1. Wagon Mound
One of the best-known landmarks on the trail, Wagon Mound was the last major point of reference for traders going west. It was so named because it looks like a covered wagon being pulled by oxen.
2. Lucien Maxwell House in Rayado
Started by Lucien Maxwell in 1848, the town of Rayado was the point where the Mountain Route and two of its side trails rejoined. The army rented buildings at Rayado in the early 1850s to help protect this part of the Mountain Route.
3. Cimarron
Cimarron was an important stop for wagon trains on the Mountain Route. Many buildings, such as the courthouse, jail, stagecoach office, and a gambling house, still remain from that era. The town plaza and well are pictured above.
4. Rock Crossing of the Canadian River
The rock crossing is less than 10 miles from
this page online
5. Point of Rocks
Used as a landmark for traders heading west, Point of Rocks had a fine spring. This outcropping was a popular campsite for various Indian buffalo hunting parties and Santa Fe Trail caravans traveling the Cimarron Route.
6. McNees Crossing
Located alongside the North Canadian River. McNees Crossing was a popular camping site. This site is believed to be the location where, in 1831, the Fourth of July was celebrated for the first time in the New Mexico Territory.
[Santa Fe Trail Auto Tour Route logo here]
Look for this sign to trace the route of the Santa Fe National Historic Trail.
Please be courteous when viewing a site on private land.
For maps and further information please visit:
Fort Union National Monument:
www.nps.gov/foun
Wagon Mound:
www.wagonmoundnm.com
Town of Raton:
www.ratonnm.gov
Town of Clayton:
www.claytonnewmexico.net
Santa Fe Trail information:
www.santafetrail.org
www.nps.gov/safe
Erected by Santa Fe Trail Association.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles
2. Marker detail: Indian Alarm on the Cimarron River
Location. 35° 54.298′ N, 105° 0.656′ W. Marker is near Watrous, New Mexico, in Mora County. It is on New Mexico Route 161 7.6 miles north of Interstate 25. Marker is located in front of the Fort Union National Monument Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3115 New Mexico Route 161, Watrous NM 87753, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern New Mexico. It is also in the American Southwest, in the Mountain West, and on the Santa Fe Trail Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Dust Bowl, and the Republic of Texas.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Trail Sites to the West (here, next to this marker); The Best Hospital in 500 Miles (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Union and the Santa Fe Trail (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Six Mule Army Wagon (about 400 feet away); The First Fort Union (about 600 feet away); Life Along Suds Row (about 800 feet away); Fort Union: 1866 (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Third Fort Union (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Watrous.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort Union National Monument
Also see . . . A History of the Santa Fe Trail. Santa Fe Trail Association website entry:
For almost 60 years the Santa Fe Trail was the conduit which brought goods to
3. Marker detail: Network of Trade
The Santa Fe Trail was an important link in the system of early international trading routes. Goods heading east from Missouri were transported on rivers and canals to reach the ports of New York City and New Orleans. El Camino Real de la Tierra Adentro connected Santa Fe to Chihuahua, Mexico, and points further south.
4. Marker detail: Two Routes
The Mountain Route and the Cimarron Route of the Santa Fe Trail diverged just south of Fort Union. The choice of routes heading east was made at Watrous. The Mountain Route was more accessible to water than the less rugged Cimarron Route.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 22, 2015
5. Trail Sites to the North and East Marker
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 22, 2015
6. Wagon Mound
Credits. This page was last revised on March 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 29, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 376 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 29, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
