Get St. Louis: Gateway To Santa Fe - Santa Fe Trail Association

The Santa Fe Trail starts in Franklin, Missouri. It travels across Kansas, then splits with one route going through Colorado and the other through Oklahoma. It ends in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Some records related to people were kept, but only for short periods of time. for example, between 1849 and 1859, about 12,000 people traveled across the trail, along with 3,000 wagons, and 50,000 animals.

End of the Santa Fe Trail Mule and oxen-drawn wagons couldn't compete with trains for hauling freight or speeding passengers westward. On February 9, 1880 a Santa Fe Railway Company train arrived with considerable fanfare at the Santa Fe railroad depot and effectively ended the Santa Fe Trail.

The winner of that competition, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, reached the top of Raton Pass in late 1878. Additional track mileage further shortened the effective distance of the Santa Fe. Then, in February 1880, the railroad reached Santa Fe, and the trail faded into history.

William Becknell opened up the Santa Fe Trail, between the Missouri River and the Mexican provincial capital of Santa Fe, in the fall of 1821. The route played a major role in bringing people, goods, and ideas to and from Santa Fe for the next 59 years.

Military forts along the Trail provided the backing and support of the US Government, and subdued and relocated the native peoples of the Plains and the Southwest. Great caravans of freight wagons loaded with trade goods generated $5 million in 1855, and by 1866 over 5,000 wagons carried $40 million worth of goods.

Use of the trail increased under U.S. rule, especially after the introduction of mail delivery service via stagecoach (1849), but ceased with the completion of the Santa Fe railroad in 1880.

How long did it take to travel the Trail? For most people, it took 8 to 10 weeks to travel by wagon train between Independence or Westport, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Historic trail It is 565 miles (909 kilometres) long and takes about 12 hours to drive the trail today.

The nearly 800 mile journey took an average of two months to complete one way. After selling their goods in Santa Fe, the traders returned east with gold, silver, mules, and other goods acquired in Santa Fe.

The winner of that competition, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, reached the top of Raton Pass in late 1878. Additional track mileage further shortened the effective distance of the Santa Fe. Then, in February 1880, the railroad reached Santa Fe, and the trail faded into history.

The Santa Fe Trail was mainly a trade route but saw its share of emigrants, especially during the California Gold Rush and the Pike's Peak Gold Rush in Colorado. The trail also became an important route for stagecoach travel, stagecoach mail delivery and as a mail route for the famed Pony Express.

The Santa Fe Trail starts in Franklin, Missouri. It travels across Kansas, then splits with one route going through Colorado and the other through Oklahoma. It ends in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Some records related to people were kept, but only for short periods of time. for example, between 1849 and 1859, about 12,000 people traveled across the trail, along with 3,000 wagons, and 50,000 animals.

End of the Santa Fe Trail Mule and oxen-drawn wagons couldn't compete with trains for hauling freight or speeding passengers westward. On February 9, 1880 a Santa Fe Railway Company train arrived with considerable fanfare at the Santa Fe railroad depot and effectively ended the Santa Fe Trail.

The winner of that competition, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, reached the top of Raton Pass in late 1878. Additional track mileage further shortened the effective distance of the Santa Fe. Then, in February 1880, the railroad reached Santa Fe, and the trail faded into history.

William Becknell opened up the Santa Fe Trail, between the Missouri River and the Mexican provincial capital of Santa Fe, in the fall of 1821. The route played a major role in bringing people, goods, and ideas to and from Santa Fe for the next 59 years.

Military forts along the Trail provided the backing and support of the US Government, and subdued and relocated the native peoples of the Plains and the Southwest. Great caravans of freight wagons loaded with trade goods generated $5 million in 1855, and by 1866 over 5,000 wagons carried $40 million worth of goods.

Use of the trail increased under U.S. rule, especially after the introduction of mail delivery service via stagecoach (1849), but ceased with the completion of the Santa Fe railroad in 1880.

How long did it take to travel the Trail? For most people, it took 8 to 10 weeks to travel by wagon train between Independence or Westport, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Historic trail It is 565 miles (909 kilometres) long and takes about 12 hours to drive the trail today.

The nearly 800 mile journey took an average of two months to complete one way. After selling their goods in Santa Fe, the traders returned east with gold, silver, mules, and other goods acquired in Santa Fe.

The winner of that competition, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, reached the top of Raton Pass in late 1878. Additional track mileage further shortened the effective distance of the Santa Fe. Then, in February 1880, the railroad reached Santa Fe, and the trail faded into history.

The Santa Fe Trail was mainly a trade route but saw its share of emigrants, especially during the California Gold Rush and the Pike's Peak Gold Rush in Colorado. The trail also became an important route for stagecoach travel, stagecoach mail delivery and as a mail route for the famed Pony Express.