Franciscan priests established 21 missions between 1769 and 1833 in Alta California, accompanied by military outposts. Their goal was to spread Christianity among the local Native Americans, as well as to affirm Spanish, and later Mexican, claims to the region.
To facilitate overland travel, the mission settlements were situated approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) apart, about one day's journey on horseback, or three days on foot. The entire trail eventually became a 600-mile (966-kilometer) long "California Mission Trail." Rev. Lasuén successfully argued that filling in the empty spaces along El Camino Real with additional outposts would provide much-needed rest stops where travelers could take lodging in relative safety and comfort.[1] [2] Heavy freight movement was practical only via water. Tradition has it that the padres sprinkled mustard seeds along the trail to mark it with bright yellow flowers.[3] [4]
Today a growing number of people, calling themselves California Mission Walkers, hike the mission trail route, usually in segments between the missions.[5] Walking the trail is a way to connect with the history of the missions. For some it represents a spiritual pilgrimage, inspired by Jesuit priest Richard Roos' 1985 book, Christwalk.[6] The loosely organized group is attempting to formalize the route and establish markers, similar to the 330mile El Camino de Santiago, in Spain.
There were 21 missions, 8 asistencias, and 5 estancias in what is now California.
| Notes | |||||
| 1823 | Sonoma 38.2939°N -122.4556°W | Originally planned as an asistencia of Mission San Rafael Arcángel. Serves as a museum. | |||
| 1817 | San Rafael | Nonextant. Originally planned as the third asistencia of Mission San Francisco de Asís. A reconstruction of the original mission was completed in 1949, which served as a parish church and museum. | |||
| Mission San Francisco de Asís | 1776 | San Francisco | Also known as Mission Dolores. Serves as a parish church. | ||
| Mission San José | 1797 | Fremont 37.5328°N -121.9194°W | Serves as a parish church and museum. | ||
| Mission Santa Clara de Asís | 1777 | Santa Clara 37.3492°N -121.9414°W | Serves as a parish church within Santa Clara University. | ||
| Mission Santa Cruz | 1791 | Santa Cruz 36.9781°N -122.0292°W | Nonextant. A reconstruction of the original mission was completed in the 1930s, which serves as a parish church and museum. | ||
| Mission San Juan Bautista | 1797 | San Juan Bautista 36.845°N -121.5358°W | Serves as a parish church. | ||
| Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo | 100px | 1770 | Carmel 36.5425°N -121.9197°W | Serves as a parish church and museum. | |
| Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad | 100px | 1791 | Soledad 36.4044°N -121.3556°W | In ruins. A reconstruction of the original mission was completed in 1955, which serves as a parish church and museum. | |
| Mission San Antonio de Padua | 100px | 1771 | near Jolon 36.015°N -121.25°W | Serves as a parish church and museum. | |
| Mission San Miguel Arcángel | 100px | 1797 | San Miguel 35.7447°N -120.6981°W | Serves as a parish church and museum. | |
| Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa | 1772 | San Luis Obispo 35.2806°N -120.6644°W | Serves as a parish church and museum. | ||
| Mission La Purísima Concepción | 100px | 1787 | Lompoc 34.6703°N -120.4206°W | Serves as a museum. | |
| Mission Santa Inés | 100px | 1804 | Solvang 34.5944°N -120.1364°W | Serves as a parish church and museum. | |
| Mission Santa Barbara | 100px | 1786 | Santa Barbara 34.4383°N -119.7139°W | Serves as a parish church and friary. | |
| Mission San Buenaventura | 100px | 1782 | Ventura 34.2811°N -119.2981°W | Serves as a parish church and museum. | |
| Mission San Fernando Rey de España | 1797 | Los Angeles 34.2731°N -118.4611°W | Serves as a parish church and museum. | ||
| Mission San Gabriel | 100px | 1771 | San Gabriel | The current mission church dates to 1805. Serves as a parish church and museum. | |
| Mission San Juan Capistrano | 1776 | San Juan Capistrano 33.5028°N -117.6628°W | The Serra Chapel, built in 1782, is the oldest extant building in California.[7] Serves as a parish church and museum. | ||
| Mission San Luis Rey de Francia | 1798 | Oceanside 33.2325°N -117.32°W | Serves as a parish church, museum, and religious retreat center. | ||
| Mission San Diego de Alcalá | 1769 | San Diego | Serves as a parish church and museum. |
Two Franciscan missions, Mission Puerto de Purísima Concepción and Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuñer, were constructed within the present-day borders of California but were administered as part of the Spanish missions of Pimería Alta. As such, they are not considered a part of the 21 missions of Alta California.
Asistencias were branch missions that allowed the priests to extend their reach into the native population at a modest cost.
An estancia or estância is a Spanish or Portuguese term describing private landholdings used for farming or raising livestock. They assisted in the development of their parent missions.
| San Marcos Estancia | near Santa Ynez 34.5472°N -119.8778°W | Nonextant. Estancia of Mission Santa Barbara. Little else is known.[13] [14] | |||
| San Francisco Xavier Estancia | 1804 | Castaic Junction 34.4328°N -118.6053°W | Nonextant. Estancia of Mission San Fernando Rey de España. | ||
| San Bernardino de Sena Estancia | 1819 | Redlands 34.0444°N -117.2208°W | Estancia of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. The reconstructed buildings serve as a museum. | ||
| Santa Ana Estancia | 1817 | Costa Mesa 33.6731°N -117.9369°W | Also known as the Costa Mesa Estancia. Estancia of Mission San Juan Capistrano. The Diego Sepúlveda Adobe serves as a museum. | ||
| Las Flores Estancia | 1823 | Camp Pendleton 33.2997°N -117.4608°W | Estancia of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. The building is part of a Boy Scout camp. |
Presidios in chronological order:
On Spanish Missions:
On California history:
On general missionary history:
On colonial Spanish American history: