Juan Bautista de Anza

Tucson & Casa Grande <'.J Saguaro National Park '\/ Casa Grande Ruins National Monument One leg of the Anza adventure brings visitors to Tucson and its outskirts, with a stop at the famed "white dove of the desert;' Mission San Xavier del Bae. With a white dome and tower framed by a weathered adobe archway beneath cerulean blue skies, San Xavier blends elements of the old and new worlds. Beyond the mission, other scenic stops along the Anza Trail include the breathtaking, panoramic views offered by Sentinel Peak or "N.' M ountain; the Santa Cruz River Park and Saguaro National Park. About 35 miles northwest of Saguaro National Park, Picacho Peak State Park hosts Civil War re-enactments that commemorate April 15, 1862, the fateful day the westernmost battle of the Civil War was fought. Trails wind up the landmark 1,500-foot Picacho Peak, offering views of seas of wildflowers that often bloom in spring. Further north, the enigmatic asa rande (or '·great house") Ruins National Mo nu ment hold the secrets of a n ancien t- ye t adva nced- civilization that ingeniously built miles of canals across the arid desert. '\/ Picacho State Park Phoenix \ '\/ [> Tucson Presidio The Anza Trail cuts through a wide swath of the Sonoran Desert's exotic and arid landscape on the outskirts of Phoenix. Here, you'll discover the 487,000-acre Sonoran Desert N ational Monument, which houses three distinct mountain ranges-the Maricopa, Sand Tank, and Table Top mountains- as well as three congressionally designated wilderness areas, significant historical and archeological sites, and hiking trails. Along the trails, ridges and isolated peaks are sep arated by vast saguaro-studded bajadas and wide desert washes adorned witl1 cholla, prickly pear, paloverde, ocotillo, ironwoo d , and thick stands of stately saguaros. Wildlife hidden amidst desert camouflage includes desert bighorn sheep, desert mule deer, coyote, desert tortoise, javelina, and a wide variety of lizards and birds. During wet spring months, hillsides dance in vibrant shades of yellow as brittlebush blooms. Descendents of desert dwellers, who now live on the Gila River Reserva ti on :i nd :ire known as the Akimel O'odham, own <lml 01 x· r~ 1 1 c Lh e Huhugam H eritage Cen ter, a rn u"L'lllll whmc exhibits, classes, and programs tell slori '" or th e !J. Sweetwater Wetlands near 1iffson /\ Exhibits at Huhugam Heritage Center in I /11/111ga111 I lcri111g1• Chandler reveal the surprising ways that C:1'11/er i11 C/11wd!cr ordinary desert plants and trees helped <'.J Los Morteros near Saguaro National Park history, culture, and language of the p eople of the Gila River Indian Community. It features an ethnobotanical garden, colorful murals, small exhibits, and displays of the tribe's renowned basketry. As the Anza Trail winds west toward Yuma, it skirts the Bureau of Land Management's Painted Rock Petroglyph Site, an archeological site with hundreds of petroglyphs, symbolic and artistic rock etchings produced centuries ago by indigenous people. indigenous people survive for thousands of years. In times of famine, ancient inhabitants C> So11ora11 Desert NatioJ1al Mo1111 111e11 t turned to saltbrush seeds. For infections, they crushed creosote leaves. But that's not all-desert plants were also used to create water sealants, gum, incense, rope, tools, ' ti - The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail in Arizona On October 23, 1775, 39-year-old Juan Bautista de Anza and a carefully as cm bled team of 240 settlers, cowboys, Indian guides, and mul e packers embarked on a dangerous journey. l n a f cat that would be daunting even today, the small colonizing expedition led by Anza- the charisma Ii caplain of the Presidio of Tubae in Sonora (now south ernArizona)- ventured r2oomiles lo Lh c.: north to found a mission and presidio at Lh c port of San Francisco. The Viceroy of New Spain chose Anza for the treacherous trek at a time when Spain struggled to secure its outposts in northern California from Russian and English exploration and colonization. Existing land and sea routes from Mexico had proven dangerous and difficult, leaving the Spanish in search of a new overland route for moving settlers, livestock and supplies up from Sonora. Anza charted the route, carved through bone-dry deserts and mountain passes, during his first exploratory expedition in 1774, an adventure historians compare to the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition. Not only did he succeed in finding a safe and predictable route to San Francisco, but he forged friendly ties with the Yuma people, who today prefer the name Quechan, at the confluence of the Gila and Colorado rivers-a relationship that would prove invaluable in the 1775 colonizing expedition. Today, we can join Anza and the settlers on their epic journey, retracing their steps along the route now memorialized as the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. Whether you choose to experience Arizona's section of the trail from the front seat of your car, on horseback, aboard a bicycle, or by foot, here's your guide to some of the most striking historic landmarks and vistas along the way. Yuma Nogales & Tubae Yuma is a unique hub that stands at the confluence of the Colorado and Gila rivers, where Arizona, California and Mexico meet. The city once known as Yuma Crossing enchants visitors with its epic history that rivals a spellbinding novel, not only of the Anza expedition, but of famed Spanish conquistadors and missionaries, including Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, daring trappers like Kit Carson, '49ers en route to the California Gold Rush, the Mormon Battalion and the Butterfield Overland Stage. The quaint charm of this once rough-and-tumble river town lives on at Yuma Quartermaster Depot State H istoric Park, where you can see the exact spot where th Anza expedition made its famed crossing of the treacherous Colorado River, examine the recovered paddle axle of a sunken steamboat, and visit Yuma's oldest home- built in 1859 by a steamboat entrepreneur. In Yuma you can also explore Arizona's most visited state historic park, the Territorial Prison, which once locked up the Southwest's most notorious outlaws, or the Century House Museum, the former home of pioneer merchant Eugene Francis Sanguinetti, with colorful gardens of brilliant red and fuchsia bougainvillea, fragrant lemon trees, and aviaries of exotic and talking birds. Visitors to Nogales can retrace the famed migratory path or trade route called El Camino Real ("The King's Highway") while reliving the town's Wild West past at historic landmarks such as the neoclassic 1904 Courthouse that stands on a hill overlooking Main Street, and the Old City Hall, built in 1914, which now houses the Pimeria Alta Historical Society. Just 18 miles to the north, the battered yet beautiful towering adobe walls and burnt adobe bell tower of famous Jesuit missionary Father Eusebio Francisco Kino's first mission in Arizona, San Jose de Tumacacori, capture the history of Spanish missionaries in the "New World:' From here, you can venture down a 4.5-mile trail along the Santa Cruz River through a lush riparian habitat of cottonwoods and mesquite leading to Tubae, the oldest Spanish settlement in the state. Beyond the adobe remnants of the Tubae Presidio, built in 1752 to protect the nearby Tumacacori mission and settlers, the surrounding 12-acre state park includes a museum, one of the oldest territorial schoolhouses, and the hand press used to print the first newspaper in Arizona. A re-enactment of the expedition's passage through Tubae takes place annually in October during the AnzaDays. Yuma Territorial Prison [> Quartermaster Depot Pai111l'd /foci< 11car (,'i/a /!cm / 1and ...mui ical instruments. - ~-.. ........ ~· '• <'.J ~ Folklorico dancer and living history at Tumacdcori National Historical Park /J. Tumacdcori National Historical Park !J. Living history follows the trail across the Santa Cruz river in southern Arizona. Antelope Hill, a 575-foot knob of sandstone east of Wellton in the outskirts of Yuma, features enigmatic petroglyphs left behind by ancient inhabitants who used stone tools to peck, scratch, and carve art into sandstone. "Desert varnish," the dark patina that forms on rock in /J. These historic route signs indicate the roadway arid conditions, provided a natural canvas. <J These auto route signs indicate the roadway deviates from the is within the corridor used by the expedition. historic corridor but provides for a continuous driving route. <'.J Site of Anza Expedition Camp I> Don Garate, a National Park Service ranger, dons the clothing of 1776 to speak with visitors about the history of the Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition. j HARQUAHALA ' MOUNTAINS I WILDERNESS COLORADO RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY 95 LA I PAZ i i I RIVERSIDE CO U NTY . ) CALIFORNIA I FORT MCDOWELL INDIAN COMMUNITY \ It \ 10 (,~ -----------;1t1~'1\~\i-'s i I lvfohaw Peak j YUMA PROVING GROUND CIBOLA NATIONAL WILDLIFE ; I lr:::::=.==!== : i:{Oso i il=====l=I= • PICACIIO V •• ...._. •• STATE RECREATION AREA d!ilfill \ \ i i I ___________ j I I I \ \ ' i I IMPERIAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE STATE PARK 1 i REFUGE" ;; SAN CARLOS . 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Funded by the National Park Service Connect Trails to Parks Program For more infonn ation about the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail visit www.nps.gov/JUBA. The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is supported by volunteer groups and partners al ong the trail. The Anza Trail Coalition of Arizona (www.anzatrail.com) and the Anza Trail Foundation (www.anzatrailfoundation.com) are two significant partners. Both organizations welcome your participation and financial support. Please visit their websites for more information. Written by Lori K. Baker Photography by Allan Morgan unless credited otherwise D esigned by Jackson Boelts/BoeltsDesign.com t!) Printed on recycled paper A· MIX VvJ Paper 6/20n ........... SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK ~ ......... ........ .......... ...................... CABE ZA PIUETA NATIONAL WILDLI FE R BFUGE VISITOR C ENTJ)R • ................ MUSEU M C O UN TY ··,............... ORGAN PIPE CACTUS NATIONAL MONUMENT ......... 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