Bradshaw Trail facts for kids

The Bradshaw Trail is a famous old road in Southern California. It was once a busy stagecoach route. People also called it the Gold Road because of its purpose.

This trail connected San Bernardino, California to the gold fields in La Paz, Arizona. Today, La Paz is known as Ehrenberg. It was the very first road to link Riverside County with the Colorado River.

What's left of the trail today is a dirt road. It stretches about 70 miles (113 km) across southeastern Riverside County and part of Imperial County. It starts about 12 miles (19 km) east of North Shore. The trail ends roughly 14 miles (23 km) southwest of Blythe.

History of the Trail

The trail is named after a brave explorer named William David Bradshaw. He first traveled through this area in 1862. Bradshaw had been a "forty-niner." This means he was one of the many people who rushed to California for gold in 1849.

Bradshaw knew that the gold mines in the north were running out. Miners and other people needed a faster way to get to the new gold discovery at La Paz. Without a direct path, they had to travel a long way south to Yuma. Then, they would go north up the river to La Paz. Bradshaw was smart. He saw a chance to make money in a gold "boomtown." A boomtown is a town that grows very quickly because of a sudden increase in business, like a gold rush.

The original Bradshaw Trail was 180 miles (290 km) long. It began east of San Bernardino in the San Gorgonio Pass. Bradshaw and his group traveled southeast. They went to the northern tip of the Salton Sink. Then, they turned east towards the Orocopia Mountains. There was an existing stagecoach stop there called "Dos Palmas."

From Dos Palmas, the men kept going east. They traveled between the Orocopia and Chocolate mountain ranges. They also passed the southern end of the Chuckwalla range. The trail ended at the Palo Verde Valley. After crossing the Colorado River, they rode about four miles upstream to the gold fields. Even though the trail crossed a dry desert, there was plenty of water. Water holes were found about every thirty miles (48 km).

Between 1862 and 1877, the Bradshaw Trail was the main route. It connected Southern California to the rich gold fields of La Paz.

The Trail Today

Most of the Bradshaw Trail that remains today crosses public land. However, the very eastern end of the trail near Ripley is not public. If you want to travel the trail, it's best to use a four-wheel drive vehicle. This is because the road can be rough. There are no services like gas stations or stores along the trail itself.

Something important to know is the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range. This area borders part of the Bradshaw Trail to the south. It is a live bombing range. This means military training with bombs happens there. The area is clearly marked with signs. It is very important to stay on the trail and not enter the gunnery range.

See also: Wiley's Well