Historic Mojave River Road

Historic Mojave River Road. . The River Bluff Ranch is on the north bank of the Mojave River near the historic locations of Calico Ghost Town, Newberry Springs, Yermo, and abandoned relics of U.S. Army outpost Camp Cady. To the east are the Mojave Road, the Old Spanish Trail, and the Salt Lake Trail (Mormon Road) that all converge near Daggett., The Mojave River has been described as “upside-down” and “backwards” because water generally flows below ground and inland from Silverwood Lake (near Cajon Pass) to Soda Dry Lake. Ancient desert Indians used the river as a trade route to and from the Pacific coast. This route would later be called the Mojave Road., In 1776, Fr. Francisco Garces was the first European to use this route to reach the Southern California missions from the Mojave Desert. In 1826 Jedediah Smith passed this way to become the first American to reach the California coast via an overland trail. In the 1860’s, the U.S. Army established Camp Cady on this route in an effort to make it safe for other travelers. Later Kit Carson and John Fremont were among those who traversed this route. The Mojave Road soon became a primary route from Los Angeles to the Arizona Territory and points east. On the left and right sides of this monument are the original cornerstones of Camp Cady., Dedicated on 5 May 2013 , by the Billy Holcomb Chapter No. 1069 , of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus.