Added to the National Trails System in October 2000, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Royal Road of the Interior) National Historic Trail recognizes the primary route between the colonial Spanish capital of Mexico City and the Spanish provincial capitals at San Juan de Los Caballeros (1598-1600); San Gabriel (1600-1609); and Santa Fe (1610-1821). The national historic trail extends 404 miles from El Paso, Texas, to San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico.
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro is recognized throughout the United States of America and Los Estados Unidos de Mexico as a timeless route of trade and cultural exchange and interaction among Spaniards and other Europeans, American Indians, Mexicans, and Americans, which shaped individual lives and communities and affected settlement and development in the greater Southwest. Recognition of this route as an international historic trail will commemorate a shared cultural heritage and contribute in a meaningful way to eliminating cultural barriers and enriching the lives of people along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.
The Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service are charged with joint planning and administration of the trail. A website dedicated to the trail can be seen at www.elcaminoreal.org
A Comprehensive Management Plan/ Final Environmental Impact Statement for the trail was completed in April 2004. Go to Management Docs (right) to access the plan.
