crumbling adobe structure with blue sky
Santa Rosa de Lima de Abiquiú provided a way station for travelers along the Old Spanish Trail in the 1800s. It is privately owned by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. NPS

Old Spanish National Historic Trail

Federal Recreation Area · Arizona · National Park Service

Follow the routes of mule pack trains across the Southwest on the Old Spanish National Historic Trail between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Los Angeles, California. New Mexican traders moved locally produced merchandise across what are now six states to exchange for mules and horses.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Highlights: Archeology · Ruins · Arts · Photography · Commerce · Trade · Explorers and Expeditions · Hispanic American Heritage · Westward Expansion · Trails

Activities & features: Arts and Culture · Theater · Auto and ATV · Scenic Driving · Hiking · Horse Trekking

Photos

  • hikers walk beside a river with cottonwoods alongside the river
    NPS
  • desert scrub in foreground, spiky mountains in background, clouds
    NPS
  • desert scenery, dead tree, blue sky with puffy coulds
    NPS
  • a river carves through the landscape, greenery in the foreground, mountains and redrock backdrop
    NPS
  • rocky trail through desert with yucca, mountain in the background
    NPS
  • trail through desert scrub with Joshua trees, mountains in the distance, puffy clouds
    NPS

Nearby parks

Parks of Arizona

River Island State ParkChiricahua National MonumentCatalina State ParkPipe Spring National MonumentRiordan Mansion State Historic ParkLake Mead National Recreation AreaLake Havasu State ParkOrgan Pipe Cactus National MonumentFort Bowie National Historic SiteNavajo National MonumentPetrified Forest National ParkGrand Canyon-Parashant National MonumentGlen Canyon National Recreation AreaSlide Rock State ParkKartchner Caverns State ParkPatagonia Lake State ParkDankworth Pond State ParkWalnut Canyon National MonumentPicacho Peak State ParkLost Dutchman State ParkRoper Lake State ParkCoronado National MemorialSonoita Creek Natural AreaCasa Grande Ruins National MonumentRed Rock State ParkTonto Natural Bridge State ParkOracle State ParkAlamo Lake State ParkMontezuma Castle National MonumentGrand Canyon National ParkCanyon de Chelly National MonumentBuckskin Mountain State ParkWupatki National MonumentHomolovi State ParkSaguaro National ParkTumacácori National Historical ParkJuan Bautista de Anza National Historic TrailFool Hollow Lake Recreation AreaDead Horse Ranch State ParkHubbell Trading Post National Historic SiteLyman Lake State ParkJerome State Historic ParkTuzigoot National MonumentColorado River State Historic ParkSunset Crater Volcano National MonumentCattail Cove State ParkTonto National MonumentHavasu Riviera State Park

49 parks mapped in Arizona

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Guides for the trip

All guides →

Sources: National Park Service · updated 2026-08-12