You'll see many piles of dummy...
You'll see many piles of dummy projectiles and practice ordinance to the south as you pass the bombing and gunnery range. Don't touch!
On August 23, 1862, Marlon Dickerson Fairchild and a friend left Los Angeles on horseback. They were heading for Olivia (Ehrenberg, Arizona) in search of their fortunes. They traveled along existing routes through El Monte, Cucamonga, San Bernardino, San Gorgonio Pass, and Agua Caliente (now Palm Springs) to the "Indian villages." The latter probably refers to the giant complex of villages that were located at the present-day city of Indio, California.
From here, the men rode to Martinez (currently the area identified as the Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation), where several deep wells had been dug. Continuing eastward, the party crossed the north end of the Salton Sink (the Salton Sea wasn't formed until 1905). They noted that "the surface was covered with sea shells" and that " the high water mark of a former sea is clearly visible . . . on the western side of an immense valley, which stretches as far as the eye can reach." The water line to which they referred is at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains and is as well defined today as it was in 1862. The mark indicates that ancient Lake Cahuilla had attained a height of 43 feet above sea level. Once across the Salton Sink, the travelers reached the East Mesa and some "large, tepid springs, but potable" at Dos Palmas.
The old railway from Kaiser...
The old railway from Kaiser Steel's Eagle Mountain Mine still crosses the Bradshaw Trail. You saw this railway in action if you've seen the movie Tough Guys starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas.
Out of Dos Palmas, the trail followed Salt Creek and skirted the base of the Chocolate Mountains. The 10-mile route to the summit climbed 1,800 feet and was traveled entirely through sand. After reaching the summit, the travelers headed east another 15 miles to Tabaseca Tanks, where "there were two springs of very fair water . . ." Traveling onward, the next stop was at Chuckwall (Chuckwalla) Springs, where they again found good water.
By this point, the two men had been on the road for 11 days and still had more than 60 miles to go before they reached the Colorado River. In his notes, Fairchild referred to the route over which they were traveling as the "road" and the "beaten path."
The men didn't camp again for 20 miles, according to their reckoning. This put them in the area of Wiley's Well, which wasn't developed until a later time. From there, the trail crossed the Mule Mountains through a low pass into the Palo Verde Valley. Fairchild doesn't mention the directions of the Bradshaw Trail between their last campsite and the Colorado River, stating merely that they had traveled some 35 miles. At journey's end, "We had reached Bradshaw's Ferry, opposite the town of Olivia . . ." The ferry that took them across the Colorado was "a crude boat capable of carrying small wagons and a limited number of animals." This adventure is the earliest account of the Bradshaw Trail by one who had actually traveled its whole length.
Clements Well is well marked,...
Clements Well is well marked, but was a later addition to the trail. It was probably built in the late 1800s.
In August 1862, the first large group of miners traveled the new route. There were 150 well-equipped travelers in the party, and they made the entire journey without the loss of a man or animal. Pack trains and freight wagons began using the road almost as soon as it was opened, but it wasn't until the middle of September that the first stage line was inaugurated. The stages operated from Los Angeles to La Paz by the Colorado Stage and Express Line, owned by David Alexander. The first stage was driven by Warren F. Hall, and riding "shotgun" was Henry Wilkinson. Twelve days after it left Los Angeles, the first "coach and six" arrived.