Riverside County, California



 
Historic and Interpretive Sites
Expedition Camp #54, Christmas Eve: At the top of Upper Willows at the "Fig Tree" in Anza–Borrego Desert State Park the expedition stopped on Christmas Eve 1775. A marker commemorates the birth of Salvador Ygnacio Linares. 

Turkey Track Grade: Built by the CCC from Lower Willows near the mouth of Coyote Canyon to Terwilliger Valley and the San Carlos Pass (Cary Ranch) site, this road closely follows Anza’s route on both expeditions.

San Carlos Pass: Located at the upper end of Coyote Canyon, San Carlos Pass was used by both Anza expeditions, the colonizing expedition passing through on December 27, 1775. CRHL No. 103 plaque is located on private property, seven miles southeast of the town of Anza.

Expedition Camp #56, Tripp Flats: A broad, bowl–like valley between Cahuilla Mountain and Bautista Canyon, this expedition camp site is located within the San Bernardino National Forest.

Bautista Canyon Road: This road, which connects the town of Anza with Hemet, roughly follows the contours of Bautista Canyon and the Anza Trail. About eight miles of the road are within the San Bernardino National Forest and would be included as a federal component of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. The road is unpaved from the town of Anza to the Youth Authority camp and paved from there to Fairview Avenue in Hemet. It passes through an Agricultural Preserve and an area of high paleontological sensitivity. It includes the Bautista Creek Crossing which has a Caballeros marker. The road is proposed on forest service plans as a paved two–lane road and on county transportation plans as a major four–lane highway. Attendees at public meetings in Riverside County set a goal to remove that proposal from county plans.

Expedition Camp #58, Laguna de Bucareli (Mystic Lake ): Located generally north of the Ramona Expressway off Davis Road, the lake is adjacent to the 4,850–acre San Jacinto Wildlife Area featuring restored wetlands and wildlife habitat. The lake, the outlet area of the San Jacinto River, was described by Anza in 1774 as "several leagues in circumference and as full of white geese as water." He named it for his supporter, Bucareli, and later it was called Mystic Lake. The San Jacinto Wildlife Area is owned and managed by the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and open to the public. Mystic Lake is a high priority acquisition area for the DFG. Plans for the area include incorporating the Anza Trail.

Bernasconi Pass: Located at an entrance road to what is now Lake Perris State Recreation Area, this pass was used by the expedition to pass from Lake Bucareli to the Alessandro Valley. A trail marker is placed here. Lake Perris is managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Expedition Camp #59 and Santa Ana River Crossing: The narrows near the Union Pacific bridge today is located within Martha McLean–Anza Narrows Park in the City of Riverside. It is a crossing of both expeditions and the New Year’s Eve campsite of the 1775–76 expedition. CRHL No. 787 plaque is located on private property at the Jurupa Hills Country Club Golf Course.