Marsh Pass facts for kids

Marsh Pass is a special place in Navajo County, Arizona. It's a natural low area, like a small valley or opening, between higher lands. This kind of opening is called a gap. Marsh Pass sits at an elevation of about 6,102 feet (1,860 meters). It is located along a waterway called Laguña Creek.

People think Marsh Pass got its name because it used to have many swamps and lakes. These wet areas have since been drained by a deep ditch, known as an arroyo. Marsh Pass is also known by its old Spanish name, La Puerta Limita, which means "The Border Gate."

The Story of Marsh Pass

The name La Puerta Limita tells us something important about Marsh Pass's past. This Spanish name meant it was a border! It marked the edge between two large Mexican areas: Santa Fe de Nuevo México and Alta California to the west.

An Old Trade Route

Marsh Pass was a key spot along a very important historical path called the Old Spanish Trail. This trail was a long trade route used many years ago. It connected different parts of the American Southwest.

Marsh Pass was specifically part of the Armijo Route, a branch of the Old Spanish Trail. Travelers on this route would pass through Marsh Pass on their way between what is now Kayenta and a famous crossing point on the Colorado River. From Marsh Pass, the trail would turn northwest, leading people toward the river crossing.