The Old Spanish Trail

The Old Spanish Trail included four pack mule trading routes used mainly from 1829-1848, spanning approximately 2,700 miles across what was then northern Mexico. Trade items were predominately woven goods brought from Santa Fe, New Mexico and exchanged for horses and mules in Los Angeles, California. Travel along the trail diminished by the late 1840s as new routes, and later railroads, offered alternatives. , , Salina Canyon, Sevier Valley, and Long Valley were prominent segments of the trail in this area. These historical routes are still major travel corridors with the exception of Long Valley. , , The Old Spanish Trail silhouettes you see depict a darker history of the trail. The enslavement and exchange of Native Americans, primarily women and children, for goods and forms of servitude, had a devastating effect on tribes in the area. , , Experience the Trail , To the Southwest , Big Rock Candy Mountain Bike Loop , This 26.3 mile bike loop allows visitors to follow the historic route through Long Valley along the Old Spanish Trail and back through Maryvale Canyon. The paved portion of this trale is 6.5 miles and rated easy while the unpoved portion is 19.8 miles and rated moderate to hard. , , Candy Mountain Express Bike Trail , The Candy Mountain Express Bike Trail is a paved rote that primarily parallels State Route 258 (Sevier Highway) along the Old Spanish Trail. It passes through several towns including Joseph and Elsinore. The trail begins at the Sevier Junction Trailhead and can be accessed at many locations along route. The path is open to biking, jogging, and walking. , , Butch Cassidy's Childhood Home , Butch Cassidy's family established this home along this trail route following the conclusion of the Mexican American War in 1848. Though Mexican freighters stopped using the Old Spanish Trail after the war, Cassidy used parts of the trail to evade law enforcement after his various exploits. , , Fishlake Cutoff , The Fishlake Cutoff may have been a shortcut used by travelers and traders through the area in the 19th century. The cutoff travels through the Fishlake National Forest where visitors can view interpretive signs and Old Spanish Trail silhouettes along the way. , , To the Northeast , Salina Canyon , The Old Spanish Trail travels through Salina Canyon along Interstate 70. Visitors can drive along I-70 or use the dirt frontage road to travel the canyon. ATVs can use the existing Goosebery Trailhead to access this route. Native American rock art and historic inscriptions can be seen throughout the canyon.