de Anza Trail Guide

Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail

Monterey County Anza reenactment

Photo: NPS

To download as a PDF, click here (863 Kb). Viewable with Adobe Acrobat Reader

Map of Juan Bautista de Anza trail in Monterey County

Driving Directions for Auto Route

Continuing on the route from San Luis Obispo County, travel north on G14 to Jolon. Turn left on Mission Road to Mission San Antonio de Padua, located within Fort Hunter Liggett. (The Historic Route continues on Army lands and is not available to the public.) Leaving the mission, take G14 north to US 101 north. Exit US 101 at Arroyo Seco Road (before Soledad). Go west on Arroyo Seco Road to Fort Romie Road/G17. Turn north on Fort Romie Road; it becomes River Road and continues to Hwy 68. Turn left (west) on Hwy 68 toward Monterey. Hwy 68 merges with Hwy 1 to Monterey. Continue on Highway 1 south, and turn right on Rio Rd., or follow the signs to the Mission San Carlos in Carmel.

The expedition's Camp #87 was at Los Correos, where a courier was sent ahead to Monterey. The expedition followed the Salinas River to Buena Vista near Spreckels and along the present day Highway 68.

In Monterey, visit the Pacific House Museum (located at 20 Custom House Plaza) and walk the Path of History. To continue north, return to Highway 1 north and take Highway 68 to Salinas, where it becomes Main Street. Travel north on Main St. until it intersects with San Juan Grade Road. Turn right on San Juan Grade Rd. and travel north to San Benito County.

Hiking/Biking Ideas

Walking or cycling opportunities on Fort Ord public lands: Take Reservation Road to Portolá Rd. to Creekside Road. Toro Park is across Hwy 68 on Portolá Road.

Walks in Monterey: Yellow markers on the sidewalk lead visitors on the Path of History. Follow these markers from the Presidio of Monterey Museum through Monterey State Historic Park to the San Carlos Cathedral (former Spanish Royal Presidio Chapel).

		Dancers from the Alta California Troupe perform traditional dances at a historical festival.
Photo: Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau

From Toro Park, one can see the slender valley that the expedition passed through on March 10, 1776 on their way to Monterey. The Monterey Presidio was the interim destination of Anza's settlers. They rested here in this northernmost frontier outpost of Alta California while Anza and a small party of soldiers went north on March 23 to select the sites for the San Francisco Mission and Presidio.

Sites of Interest

A. Mission San Antonio de Padua and Expedition Camp #85
The mission was founded in 1771. Along the entrance road to the mission, a large wooden sign describes the Anza expedition's visit to the mission on March 6, 1776. Today, it is a working parish managed by the Diocese of Monterey. Located on Mission Rd. on the grounds of Fort Hunter Liggett, it includes a museum featuring exhibits on the life of the Salinan people. On route to the Mission, travelers can visit the Lake San Antonio (located at 2610 San Antonio Rd.) and enjoy recreational activities such as picnicking, camping, fishing, hiking, and swimming.

B. San Lorenzo County Park and Expedition Camp #86
The expedition followed Sulphur Springs Canyon into Kent Canyon near King City. Camp was made north of King City at Los Ositos on the banks of the Salinas River (then called the Monterey River). Nearby, travelers can visit the Monterey County Agricultural & Rural Life Museum (1160 Broadway in King City), and learn how farming developed after the first settlers arrived.

C. San Carlos Cathedral and Expedition Camps #88 and #90
The current cathedral (at 500 Church St., Monterey) is on the former site of the Spanish Presidio and the site of the Royal Presidio Chapel known to the expedition as San Carlos de Borromeo de Monterey. Take a walk 1 block south-east and follow the shoreline of Lake El Estero to the flat, polished black stones of the Anza Walk sculpture that mark the expedition's path.

D. San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo and Expedition Camp #89
For March 11, 1776, Father Font writes, "...the fathers, who were seven, welcomed us with singular joy and festive peals of the good bells there…to which the soldiers replied with volleys and a salvo…entering the church in a procession, we intoned the Te Deum…". Father Junípero Serra, who is buried there before its altar, founded Mission Carmel in 1770. The church seen today was built after Anza's visit.

E. Fort Ord Public Lands (Bureau of Land Management)
Basket making was still a tradition at the time of Anza's passage through the area. A wayside exhibit interprets the use of native plant materials such as Sedge (Carex barbarae), located near the exhibit, in Ohlone basket-making.

F. Salinas and Expedition Camp #91
The colonists remained in Monterey, and Anza's exploratory troop set out for San Francisco, traveling a direct route north-east to Natividad. They camped near Natividad Creek Park, where today, a wayside interpretive panel describes the indigenous use of native plants located there. Its location is on Laurel Drive (accessible via Highway 101) at Constitution Boulevard.




	Monterey's San Carlos Church (Royal Presidio Chapel)		Monterey's Anza Walk Sculpture at El Estero
	Photo: Greg Smestad		Photo: Greg Smestad

Questions on the Trail

From March until June 1776, Anza's colonists spent most of their time in the Presidio's Plaza (square). Within a block of the San Carlos Cathedral (Spanish Royal Presidio Chapel), a sign describes the boundaries of the walls of the presidio.

Question: About how many city blocks was the Presidio?
Question: Where is the U.S. Presidio of Monterey Museum?

Visit the Carmel Mission and learn about Father Junípero Serra.

Question: Was Father Serra alive when the Anza expedition arrived?
Question: What Spanish explorer is commemorated with a statue outside the Monterey Conference Center?
Question: Colton Hall (on Pacific St. in Monterey) was where California's constitution was written in both Spanish and English. Why were both languages used? Does the Anza expedition have a plaque on the sidewalk outside Colton Hall?

On the CD: Father Font's "Te Deum"

According to some scholars, Nicetas of Remesiana, an early 5th century Greek bishop, theologian and composer, wrote the Te Deum Laudamus, an important Latin Christian chant of thanksgiving. Diaries tell us that the Te Deum was sung by Father Serra at the founding of Monterey in 1770 at the Vizcaíno-Serra oak tree, and again at special occasions such as the arrival of the Anza expedition. The version shown here, from the Mission Santa Clara Archives, has a handwritten note from Father Florencio Ibáñez (1740-1818), a Franciscan who served at least four missions: Carmel, San Antonio, San Juan Bautista, and Soledad. He is buried at Mission Soledad.

Te Deum in Latin
[and English]

Te Deum laudamus,
[We praise you, O God,]
te Dominum confitemur.
[and acknowledge you as Lord.]
Te aeternum Patrem...
[You, the eternal Father...]

The Te Deum
(Santa Clara University Archives)

Photo: Greg Smestad

Play MP3 file of Font's Te Deum,
preceded by Carpenter Birds (woodpeckers):
John Warren (Chant)
(playing time 3 minutes 18 seconds)

Additional Resources

San Antonio Mission - Mission Road, Fort Hunter Liggett, Jolon, CA; 93928 tel.: 831- 385-4478,
web: missionsanantonio.net

Monterey County Parks & Recreation Department - PO Box 5249, Salinas, CA 93915;
tel.: 888-588-2267,
web: co.monterey.ca.us/parks

San Carlos Cathedral and The Diocese of Monterey - 500 Church Street, Monterey, CA 93940;
tel.: 831-373-2628,
web: dioceseofmonterey.org

Carmel Mission - 3080 Rio Road, Carmel, CA 93923;
tel.: 831-624-3600,
web: carmelmission.org

Bureau of Land Management - Hollister Field Office, 20 Hamilton Court, Hollister, CA 95023;
tel.: 831-630-5000,
web:
ca.blm.gov/hollister

Monterey State Historic Park - 20 Custom House Plaza, Monterey, CA 93940;
tel.: 831-649-7118,
web: parks.ca.gov

Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District - 60 Garden Court, Suite 325, Monterey, CA 93940;
tel.: 831-372-3196,
web: mprpd.org


	Back to Juan Bautista de Anza Trail Guide Homepage. Listen to tracks on the Anza Trail Guide CD. Learn more about the Anza Trail CD and Music. Learn more about the Anza Trail Guide Project. Look up names, locations and terms in the Glossary.