1598-1890

From 1598 to 1890, El Camino Real, or The Royal Road, sustained New Mexico's settlers from the beginning as they traveled north to la tierra adentro, the interior land, and back to cities in the south. For 225 years before the Santa Fe Trail, it served as a viable commercial route and was not only the settlers' travel route but also a source of essential supplies and a means of communication with the world beyond New Mexico. Place names along it, such as Jornada del Muerto, or Journey of the Dead, testify to the journey's dangers, and Robledo Peak and Doña Ana commemorate travelers who died along the way. After 1821, the Camino was called the Chihuahua Trail, a route essentially replicated by today's Interstate 25.

Santa Fe, New Mexico · United States