The Fish Lake Cut-off on the Old Spanish Trail

The Fish Lake Cut-off on the Old Spanish Trail. Pathway to Grassy Meadows and Water. , An Historic Trade Route Passed This Way , In the early 1800s, untold number of men, mules, and horses plodded along a well-travelled trail that skirted the western shores of Fish Lake. Can you imagine the dust, noise and smells of a trading caravan on the move?", Why Did Traders Come this Way? , You are actually standing on the Fish Lake Cut-off on the Old Spanish Trail. The Cut-off was a 72-mile shortcut that left the main trail at Red Creek Canyon now south of 1-70. Reaching elevation over 9,000 feet, the trail crossed mountain valleys that provided abundant quantities of fish, grass, water, and cool summer temperatures for travelers using this alternate route. This "southern branch" rejoined the Old Spanish Trail near Kingston, Utah. Of interest, you are standing on or near the spot where a famous mountain man and scout rode by in 1848. His name was Christopher "Kit" Carson., [Caption]: The Old Spanish Trail , This pack trail known as the Old Spanish Trail, stretched 1,200 miles and linked Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Pablo de Los Angeles in the Mexican Territory of California. Between 1829 and 1848, traders used the trail to carry New Mexican woolen goods - rugs, blankets, and serapes - that were traded for California mules and horses.,