The Old Spanish Trail – Mountain Springs Pass
This portion of the Old Spanish Trail was discovered in January 1830, by Antonio Armijo during his first trip from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. The springs just north of this marker provided excellent water and fed meadows of luxuriant grass for draft animals. Two days were required to travel between Las Vegas and Mountain Springs Pass. The trip was broken at Cottonwood Springs, the site of Blue Diamond, where an early start was usually made in order to climb the pass by nightfall. Early travelers often referred to the area as Piute Springs, but the present title has been used for over a century. The altitude made Mountain Springs one of the favorite camping spots on the trail.
Nevada Historic Marker #142
June 2020 – I stopped by to document this historic marker and it was missing. I will update this page when I learn more.
May 2022 – It has been replaced/returned.
Location: N 35.99845 W 115.44774
