The team behind the recently constructed Camp Cajon Monument in Southern California’s Cajon Pass recently offered tours of Camp Cajon and other sites along the famed mountain path.
The monument itself sits at the south end of Wagon Train Road, near the intersection of Interstate 15 and Highway 138. The monument was dedicated in 2019 to honor the memory of the long-defunct Camp Cajon — a prominent rest area and campground along early Route 66 — and its founder, William Bristol. A flood destroyed the camp in 1938.
Mark Landis, who writes a column for the San Bernardino County Sun, provided more details about the field trips:
The tour of the area was divided into three parts, the first was an overview of the history of Camp Cajon, and the construction of the monument. The main group was then split into two; one group hiked a short distance up Crowder Canyon, and the second group did a walking tour of the former Camp Cajon site. […]
Camp Cajon team member and history researcher Gary Smith led the second group up Wagon Train Road, which he explained is a remnant of a Route 66 alignment built in 1953.
Smith’s group was given handouts with photos of several Camp Cajon buildings, and the photos could be compared to the current locations. Smith also pointed out the former location of Camp Cajon, which is just a few hundred feet north of the new monument, on the west side of Wagon Train Road. A map showing the former alignments of the old roads in the area was also provided and discussed.
The Crowder Canyon group was shown sections of the 1860s John Brown Toll Road, the first wagon road through Cajon Pass. The road was paved in 1912 and became a part of the National Old Trails Road — a precursor to Route 66.
The Camp Cajon Monument team plans more guided tours in the future. To stay abreast of such future events, follow its Facebook page.
One can follow the path of old Route 66 through Cajon Pass, but it requires an all-terrain vehicle and detailed maps. The guided tours probably would be an easier — and more educational — alternative for most people.
(Image of the Camp Cajon Monument and a Ford Model T from the Camp Cajon page on Facebook)
I remember driving off the main road descending toward the road to the camp. Driving over the RR tracks I tried to imagine the camp. That was a tough time. Everyone should read THE GRAPES OF WRATH
Those would be fun tours to take.