Program Spotlight: Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (NHT) NPS Junior Ranger Badge Program

Hello Junior Rangers! So a week ago I posted about the package I received from Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail for completing their online Junior Ranger program. Well, today I decided to post about the Anza Trail and Anza's Junior Ranger Program so that you all can get more information about what it takes to become a Junior Ranger at Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail!

So first, I'll start with a brief overview of the trail's history and features and then get to the good stuff... :)

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About the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail

The Presidio of San Francisco, a part of the Juan Bautista
de Anza National Historic Trail. Photo courtesy NPS.gov

Anza on Horseback
Illustration courtesy NPS.gov

The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail commemorates and protects the historic overland route plotted and traveled by Juan Bautista de Anza and the 300+ colonists who followed him during the years 1775-76 from Sonora, Mexico to what is now San Francisco, CA. His successful establishment of Spain's northernmost colony in Alta California changed the course of California history. In 1990, the Anza Trail was designated a National Historic Trail by Congress through an amendment to the National Trails System Act. The portion of the trail administered by the National Park Service in the United States spans 1,200 miles from Nogales, Arizona to San Francisco, CA, and traces the route of the 1775-76 Anza Expedition as closely as possible. There is another 600 miles of historic trail in Northern Mexico. 

Though there is no official Visitor's Center dedicated to the trail, portions of the US trail can be explored by "car, foot, horse, bicycle or train" with several Expedition Points of Interests and Interpretive Sites along the way. 

While several of these sites are administered by the Arizona and California State Parks system, there are eight (8) National Park Service sites affiliated with the trail:

Mission at Tumacacori National Historic Park
Photo courtesy nps.gov

1. Tumacacori National Historical Park (Tumacacori, AZ) - As the expedition headed towards Tubac, Pedro Font held mass at this mission on October 17, 1775.

2. Saguaro National Park (Tucson, AZ) - At this beautiful national park visitors can enjoy the same picturesque views of the desert landscape that Anza and the settlers saw in 1775.

Casa Grande Ruins NM
Photo courtesy nps.gov

3. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (Coolidge, AZ) - On October 31, 1775, Anza and Pedro Font visited these ruins on a side trip from one of their campsites. 

4. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area  (Thousand Oaks, CA)- Here you can explore the rugged landscape and Mediterranean climate which the Anza expedition members probably would have encountered during their journey in February 1776.

Channel Islands National Park
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

5. Channel Islands National Park (Ventura/Santa Barbara, CA) - On February 23, 1776, Anza and the settlers saw these offshore islands as they camped on the mainland near the Santa Clara River.

Majestic Volcanic Peaks at
Pinnacles National Monument
Photo courtesy nps.gov

6. Pinnacles National Monument (Paicines, CA) - As they traveled north to San Francisco, Anza's expedition members may have seen these majestic volcanic peaks towering above California's Salinas Valley. 

7. Presidio of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA) - This site, which a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, was selected on March 28, 1776 by Captain Anza to be the site for the Presidio and Mission of San Francisco.

Martinez Adobe at John Muir NHS
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

8. Anza Trail Exhibit at the John Muir National Historic Site (Martinez, CA) - This NPS site is the home of the Vincente Martinez Adobe which was once occupied by the descendants of the 1776 Anza Expedition. The Anza Trail Exhibit is located inside the Martinez Adobe.

Juan Bautista de Anza
National Historic Trail
NPS Passport Stamp.
Image courtesy
TucsonPresidio.com

Bonus Tip: For those of you who are NPS Passport stamp enthusiasts like me, there are 33 (!) Passport stamps to collect at sites along the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. Click here for a complete list of Anza Trail affiliated NPS Passport stamp locations.

For more information about the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, please visit their official NPS website and NPS partner site, Anza Historic Trail. 

source: nps.gov

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The Junior Ranger Program at
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail

Online Banner greeting Junior Rangers to the Juan Bautista
de Anza National Historic Trail Junior Ranger program.
Image courtesy anzajuniorranger.org

The Junior Ranger program at Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is an online program designed to be completed in the comfort of your own home. This activity requires an Internet connection (of course) and a valid email address. The program can be found at http://www.anzajuniorranger.org.

"You meet Commander Anza in the plaza near your small farm in Sonora, Nueva Espana (Mexico). He is recruiting people to go to Alta California. [M]any of the families in your area are very poor and moving...means the possibility of a new and better life." - excerpt from the introduction to the Anza Junior Ranger online program, anzajuniorranger.org 

Anza Recruitment Letter from the Anza Junior Ranger
Program. Image from anzajuniorranger.org

In this Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Junior Ranger activity, you are a potential colonist joining Commander Anza's expedition to the Presidio of San Francisco. As a colonist, you will choose your identity (solider, farmer, priest, mother, or single woman--yes, single woman is a choice) and travel along the expedition route, visiting historic places along the way and making important decisions at certain trail stops.

But first you will have to decide: will you leave your farm, sell off your belongings and pack up your horse and mule? Will you say goodbye to family and friends you may never see again?

This program was a fun and engaging way to learn about Anza and the trail. Selecting my identity among the character images and descriptions was nice because you get to live the expedition through the eyes/perspective of that traveler  (I went with Isabel the single woman cause I thought it was such an odd choice to have on a kid's adventure story. . .lol), and according to the site the stories are different for every character. It involved a lot of find-this-place-on-the-map map reading, but making decisions along the way was entertaining. Hopefully the other online-only programs will be as engaging as this one. :)

Explore on, Junior Rangers!

How to Become a Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Junior Ranger:

To get your own badge, complete the online activity and when you're finished, complete the online form. You will also have an opportunity to print out an Anza Junior Ranger certificate after you complete the form. A ranger will contact you via email to obtain your address and other demographic information. A badge will be mailed to you when you reply to the email with the required information.