{"nrhp_refnum":"73002252","name":"Fages-De Anza Trail-Southern Emigrant Road","other_names":["Anza-Borrego Desert State Park"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Anza-Borrego State Park","address_restricted":false,"city":"Borrego Springs","county":"San Diego County","state":"CA","lat":33.22909021400005,"lon":-116.26124072199997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1973-01-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Prehistoric","Historic - Aboriginal","Historic - Non-Aboriginal","Military","Exploration/Settlement"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A district in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, San Diego and Imperial Counties, California, covering three interrelated historic trails: the Fages Trail, the De Anza Trail and the Old Southern Emigrant Road. The only building included is the reconstructed and stabilized Vallecito Stage Station.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the desert has outstanding historical and archeological value, with the three trails as its focus. The routes began as Indian trails and later served Spanish explorers and colonists, American emigrants, the Mormon Battalion, mail and stage lines, and military transport. It also stresses the need to protect these resources from new road development.","narrative":"Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in San Diego and Imperial Counties contains three interrelated historic trails: the Fages Trail, the De Anza Trail and the Old Southern Emigrant Road. They began as Indian trails, later served horseback travelers and wagons, and today carry visitors by automobile, jeep, trail bike or on foot. Pedro Fages crossed Coyote Canyon in 1772, and Juan Bautista de Anza passed through in 1774-75 and again the next year with Spanish colonists bound for San Francisco. The southern route later carried Kearny's dragoons, the Mormon Battalion, gold seekers, a boundary commission, the first transcontinental mail in 1857 and the Butterfield Overland stage in 1858. During the Civil War it remained the army's usual route east. The only building in the nominated area is the reconstructed Vallecito Stage Station. The listing also reflects concern that proposed new roads and facilities could damage the area's archeological and historical values.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition is marked good and altered. Some trails are open to automobiles, while others are limited to foot traffic, jeeps or trail bikes. The Vallecito Stage Station has been reconstructed and stabilized.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.385186-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/73002252.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860856","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-diego-county/fages-de-anza-trail-southern-emigrant-road-73002252/"}