Visited: Nov 2021
Nearby city: Sierra Vista, AZ
"The country itself is the best I have ever seen for producing all the products of Spain ... but what I am sure of is that there is not any gold nor any metal in all that country."
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, in an October 20, 1541 letter to King Charles V of Spain
The Spanish conquest of the mighty Aztec Empire (in and around present-day Mexico City) in 1521 was one of the most dramatic and transformative events in human history. The Spanish Empire soon occupied and colonized an incredibly vast land encompassing most of Central and South America (dubbed "New Spain"). To the victors went the spoils; and the incredible wealth and precious metals of the Aztecs made a fortune for many of the Spanish Conquistadors. From the Aztecs, the Conquistadors heard rumors and legends of more wealth far to the north of Mexico, and of fabulous cities entirely made of gold. The tales of a Franciscan Friar, Marcos de Niza, who had traveled north on a scouting mission, convinced Spanish authorities that the legendary cities existed. Marcos de Niza claimed to have seen a city of gold from afar and that its size rivaled that of Mexico City. The desire for more riches, wealth and power led the Viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza, to fund and assemble an expedition to find these legendary cities of gold, the "Seven Cities of Cibola."
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, a 30-year old Conquistador who was serving as the Governor of New Galicia (present-day Mexican states of Jalisco, Nayarit, and Sinaloa), was appointed to lead the expedition. Coronado was tasked with three main objectives: (1) find the seven cities of gold; (2) spread the word of God (i.e. Catholicism); and (3) expand New Spain's territory and influence northward.
On February 23, 1540, Coronado departed from the village of Compostela with 400 soldiers, about 1500 Mexican-Indian allies, 4 Franciscan friars, and several slaves (both natives and Africans) and began the journey north. They traveled along the eastern coast of the Gulf of California and eventually arrived at a mountain pass in what is now-present day Arizona.
This pass, Montezuma Pass (6,575-ft), is now preserved as Coronado National Memorial and marks the spot where Coronado's expedition entered into modern-day United States territory.
After orienting yourself at the Visitor Center, drive the unpaved road up to the Montezuma Pass Overlook and take the short 0.4-mile trail to Coronado Peak for expansive views.
Montezuma Pass, looking west
Montezuma Pass, looking east
see the long straight line on the valley floor?
That's the border fence on the international boundary between US (on the left) and Mexico (to the right)
trail to Coronado Peak (6,864 ft)
Be sure to also take the 0.75-mile trail to Coronado Cave. It's a neat spot.
Montezuma Peak (7,676 ft)
The cave entrance is a little bit of a scramble to get down, but not too bad. Make sure to bring a flashlight.
inside the main amphitheater-esque room of the cave
cave entrance
After crossing Montezuma Pass, Coronado's expedition headed further north. The expedition marked the first European sightings of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River, but the mighty cities of gold eluded the conquistadors. They did find the pueblos of the Zuni, Hopi and other tribes, but nothing like the city of Cibola described by Marcos de Niza. Coronado's interactions with the native tribes was largely hostile. The expedition wintered near present-day Albuquerque, New Mexico and battled with Rio Grande tribes there in a conflict known as the Tigeux War.
A native guide (that the Spainards called "The Turk") informed Coronado of a wealthy nation far to the northeast, known as Quivira. Coronado pressed on over the Rocky Mountains and onto the great plains, traveling through modern-day Texas, Oklahoma, and all the way to Kansas. While on the plains, Coronado encountered bison and wrote of them "I found such a quantity of cows...that it is impossible to number them, for while I was journeying through these plains...there was not a day that I lost sight of them." ...but still...no remarkable cities or precious metals. By the spring of 1541, over a year into the expedition, Coronado lost hope of finding gold. Coronado ordered the execution of their guide, the Turk, for misleading his expedition about Quivira, and then started the long journey back.
Coronado's expedition returned to Mexico City in the spring of 1542. The Spanish Crown considered his journey an utter failure. Coronado was humiliated, bankrupt, and publicly scorned. Coronado spent the rest of his years in relative obscurity and died in Mexico City on September 22, 1554 at the age of 44.
However, the knowledge gleaned from his journey would eventually lead to colonization of the region by Spanish explorers and Franciscan and Jesuit missionaries and the development of the distinctive Hispanic-American culture of the Southwest that we know to this day.
Coronado National Memorial is well-worth a visit to learn of this history and hike a few trails. We enjoyed watching the sunset on this beautiful vista.
