Paraje San Diego

Here the caravans filled every water vessel they had. Because the Jornada offered almost no water, firewood or forage, northbound trains moved through it largely by night and rested in what shade they found by day, and parajes stood every twenty miles or so along the road. On the desert, people and animals literally walked out of their shoes: archaeologists along the route have found dozens of horseshoe nails and boot nails, and from the late 1800s cans, buttons, coffee pots and broken bottles. The Yost Draw section preserves nearly four miles of the original track.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Paraje San Diego This paraje, or stopping place, provided travelers along the Camino Real with a final opportunity to water their stock and prepare their caravans before leaving the Rio Grande Valley and entering the desolate Jornada del Muerto. Caravans on their way to Santa Fe started in the evening and traveled non-stop until they reached the Paraje de Fra Cristobal 100 miles to the north.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Mesilla Plaza — 21 mi
  A plaza laid out in 1848 by people who meant to stay in Mexico, American six years later, a stage stop and Civil War headquarters, and scene of a deadly political riot in 1871.

More markers nearby

• Jornada del Muerto — steps away
• Fort Selden State Monument — steps away
• Fort Selden Cemetery — 4.4 mi
• Rio Grandé Bridge at Radium Springs — 4.5 mi