Santa Fe Trail

A section of the Santa Fe Trail that started at Pawnee Rock, Kansas towards modern day Dodge City, Kansas.  From Dodge City the trail led to a stopping point five miles west of Dodge City called “The Caches.” (SFTR-Dry). 

 

This route continued up the Arkansas River to Bent’s Old Fort between the towns of Las Animas and La Junta, Colorado.  It continued on southwest to Trinidad where it crossed over the Raton Pass and on to Santa Fe (SFTR-Ft. Dodge). 

 

Once this route passed Dodge City, the trail was renamed the Mountain Route.  Before the route is renamed the Mountain Branch, the trail crosses through Gray, Finney, Kearny, and Hamilton Counties (Legends of Kansas).  

 

This route crossed the southern portion of Colorado before entering New Mexico.  Here it went through the Rocky Mountains which was strenuous on the travelers.  However there was an abundant amount of water along this route.  Stopping points along this route included, Ash Creek Crossing, Sibleys Camp, Parker’s Ranche, Pawnee Fork Crossing, Sibley’s Ridge, Coon Creek Crossing, Plain Camp, Love’s Defeat, Mulberry Creek Ford, Small Drain, and Jackson’s Island (SFTR-Dry).  

 

Around this time period, the Dry Route was the perceivable choice do to the amount of travel included, although travelers with oxen and mules steered clear for lack of water availability.  Chouteau’s Island located in Kearny County is the last landmark on the Wet or Mountain Route that travelers can make a late decision to head southward and carry on toward the dry route (Legends of Kansas).