The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail written by Donald T. Garate is a handy guide to the Spanish explorer’s mission to inhabit Alta, or Upper California. This route was traveled by the Anza colonizing expedition during the years 1775–1776. Starting in Sinaloa and Sonora, New Spain (now in Mexico) and following existing Indigenous trails, Anza led over 240 colonists to San Francisco to establish a mission and presidio.
In December of 1775, The Anza expedition camped in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park along Coyote Creek and at Santa Catarina in Lower Willows. The campsites are both marked with California Historic Landmark plaques.
The Park contains two stretches of Anza’s route. These trails provide a rare opportunity to precisely follow in the footsteps of the expedition surrounded by terrain that has changed little since the group’s passage.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park gets its name from Juan Bautista de Anza.
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