In the early 1800s, untold numbers of men, mules, and horses traveled a well-used route that skirted the western shores of Fish Lake as part of the Old Spanish Trail. The Fish Lake Cut-off was a 72-mile shortcut that left the main trail at Red Creek Canyon, now south of I-70, climbed to elevations over 9,000 feet, crossed mountain valleys with abundant fish, grass, water, and cool summer temperatures, and rejoined the Old Spanish Trail near Kingston, Utah. This southern branch formed part of a 1,200-mile pack trail linking Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Pueblo de Los Angeles in the Mexican Territory of California. Between 1829 and 1848, traders carried New Mexican woolen goods such as rugs, blankets, and serapes westward and traded them for California mules and horses. Christopher "Kit" Carson, the mountain man and scout, passed by here in 1848.