Spanish Mission Trail

Missions y Presidios de California

There are “officially” 21 Missions along California’s Historic Mission Trail in what was once known as Alto California. And, five Presidios were built to protect these Missions. [Google Map]

In 2010, we made it our quest to try and find all these historical missions. Our journeys started in California with the SoCal Mission Quest (SMQ), where the goal was to visit the Spanish Missions between San Diego and Santa Barbara. After this, we headed to San Francisco to continue Mission explorations in the North (dubbed the NorCal Mission Quest). Listed below are our journeys.

The two lost and forgotten Missions of California are listed below the “official” list.

Mission San Diego de Alcalá (1769)
Presidio de San Diego (1769)
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo (1770)
Presidio de Monterey (1770)
Mission San Antonio de Padua (1771)
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (1771)
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa (1772)
Mission San Francisco de Asís (1776)
Presidio de San Francisco (1776)
Mission San Juan Capistrano (1776)
Mission Santa Clara de Asís (1777)
Mission San Buenaventura in 2011 (1782)
Mission San Buenaventura in 2015 (1782)
Presidio de Santa Barbara (1782)
Mission Santa Bárbara (1786)
Mission La Purisima Concepción (1787)
Mission Santa Cruz (1791)
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (1791)
Mission San José (1797)
Mission San Juan Bautista (1797)
Mission San Miguel Arcángel (1797)
Mission San Fernando Rey de España (1797)
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia (1798)
Mission Santa Inés (1804)
Mission San Rafael Arcángel (1817)
Mission San Francisco de Solano (1823)
Presidio de Sonoma

The Lost/Forgotten Missions in California

Shortly after finishing the NorCal Mission Quest (California), we discovered that there are two more Missions in along the Colorado River. These are not officially listed as California Missions even though both are marked as California Historical Landmarks.

Mission Puerto de Purísima Concepción (1780)
Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuñer (1781)

Missions de Arizona

Mission Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (1687)
Mission Los Santos ángeles de Guevavi (1691)
Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori (1691)
Mission San Xavier del Bac (1699)
Mission San José de Tumacácori (1751)
Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas (1756)

Missions de Baja California

Mission San Bruno (1683)
Mission de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó (1697)
Visita de San Juan Bautista Londó (1699)
Mission San Francisco Javier de Viggé-Biaundó (1699)
Mission San Juan Bautista Malibat (Misión Liguí) (1705)
Mission Santa Rosalía de Mulegé (1705)
Mission San Jose de Comondú (1708)
Mission La Purísima Concepción de Cadegomó (1720)
Mission de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de La Paz Airapí (1720)
Mission Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Huasinapi (1720)
Mission Santiago de Los Coras (1721)
Mission Nuestra Señora de los Dolores del Sur Chillá (1721)
Mission San Ignacio Kadakaamán (1728)
Mission Estero de las Palmas de San José del Cabo Añuití (1730)
Mission Santa Rosa de las Palmas (Misión Todos Santos) (1733)
Mission San Luis Gonzaga Chiriyaqui (1740)
Mission Santa Gertrudis (1752)
Mission San Francisco Borja (1762)
Mission de Calamajué (Visita de Calamyget) (1766)
Mission Santa María de los Ángeles (1767)
Mission San Fernando Rey de España de Velicatá (1768)
Visita de la Presentación (1769)
Mission Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de Viñacado (1774)
Visita de San José de Magdalena (1774)
Mission Santo Domingo de la Frontera (1775)
Mission San Vicente Ferrer (1780)
Mission San Miguel Arcángel de la Frontera (1787)
Mission Santo Tomás de Aquino (1791)
Mission San Pedro Mártir de Verona (1794)
Mission Santa Catarina Virgen y Mártir (1797)
Visita de San Telmo (1798)
Mission El Descanso (Misión San Miguel la Nueva) (1817)
Mission de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Norte (1834)