Pathway to Grassy Meadows and Water

An Historic Trade Route Passed This Way

In the early 1800s, thousands of men, mules, and horses plodded along a well-travelled trail that paralleled 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 of the Old Spanish Trail. The cutoff was a 72-mile shortcut that skirted the western shores of Wahsatch Lake (Fish Lake). Reaching elevations near 9,000 feet, the trail crossed mountain valleys that provided abundant quanities of fish, grass, water, and cool summer temperatures for travelers using this alternate route. This "southern branch" rejoined the main Old Spanish Trail near Kingston, Utah.

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 Pueblo de Los Angeles (L.A.) 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.

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