Sentinel on the Trail

Wagon Mound, the westernmost natural landmark on the Santa Fe Trail, could be seen for miles by weary travelers on the long and arduous road. Trail travelers named the promontory for its resemblance to a large wagon pulled by oxen. Though it was a popular campsite for wagon trains, it was also a known ambush site for Indians. In May 1850, Apache and Ute Indians attacked a stagecoach bound for Santa Fe, and no one in the wagon party of 11 survived. In 1858, trail traveler Hezekiah Brake recalled feeling anxious to reach Wagon Mound, about fifty miles away, because it offered an abundance of water entirely free from alkali.

Wagon Mound, New Mexico · United States