We extend our gratitude to the City of San Jacinto in California for partnering with the National Park Service to replace the Anza Trail Auto Tour sign within the city limits. Anza Trail Auto Tour signs guide drivers along the historic Anza expedition route as closely as established roads permit. Passing through nineteen counties, the Auto Tour connects state and national parks, historic and archeological sites, and the communities along the trail. The route is also marked by the Sonoran government in Sonora, Mexico, where the expedition began in San Miguel de Horcasitas.
The first auto-tour signs were installed nearly 25 years ago, and many are in need of replacement. The replacement signs follow the latest requirements for National Historic Trail signs from the US Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways 11th Edition. The sign in the City of San Jacinto helps direct drivers from Warren Road onto the Ramona Expressway.
The Anza Trail staff will continue to work with jurisdictions along the Auto Tour to replace existing signs. The goal is to provide the public with clear directions on the road for navigating the Anza Trail Auto Tour. The Auto Tour replacement project is an excellent opportunity to create the highest quality experience possible for the public to learn about and experience this living heritage trail during the 250th anniversary of the Anza expedition. Auto Tour signs were originally installed in four Caltrans districts, seven counties, and six cities in California. We are working to replace all existing and previously existing 167 signs across the state.
We have created a county-by-county guide to experience the Anza Trail Auto Route in collaboration with our partners. You can find the guide for each of the 19 counties from Nogales, AZ to San Francisco here: Anza Trail County-by-County Auto Tour Guides. We are grateful to Anza expedition descendent, Greg P. Smestad, Ph.D., for his thorough work in compiling the info for these guides and to the Anza Trail Foundation for hosting the site.
Use the recently completed Travel Guide to Tribes along the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, developed in collaboration with the American Indian Alaskan Native Tourism Association and NPS/Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, to learn about the enduring tribal communities, cultures, and Indigenous place names near and along the trail.
We hope you enjoy the Anza Trail and if you take the Auto Tour, drive safely! When you are at a rest stop or at your favorite site, let us know how it's going. We'd love to hear from you! Tag the Anza Trail and the National Park Service on social media in your pictures! @AnzaTrailNPS @nationalparkservice If you would like to learn more about the Anza Trail Auto Tour or the sign replacement project, please reach out to e-mail us.