The "Honeymoon Trail" - Navajo Wells (Day 19)

September 20, 1884 - Johnson to  Buckskin Mountain

Day 19 of 44 - Week 3

Johnson to Navajo Wells (nooned) to  Buckskin Mountain = 15 Miles: Total Miles = 371 Miles
Total Trip Average Miles per Day = 19.5: Average Miles per Day - Week 3 = 17.1
Average Miles
Week 1 = 20.2
Week 2 = 21.7
Week 3 = 17.1
Total Average = 19.5

September 19 - 20, 1884

September 20 - 21, 1884

Original Journal Entry
Saturday 20.  Drove from Johnson to Navajo Wells and nooned.  Some very heavy sand - Crossed the line of Utah and Arizona traveled 8 miles, hitched up and filled the barrals and drove to foot of Buckskin Mt. 7 miles - arrived there after dark.

Final Journal Entry
Saturday Sep. 20. Drove from Johnson to Navajo Wells and nooned - heavy sand - crossed the line of Utah and Arizona, filled barrels and drove 7 miles to foot of Buckskin Mountain, arrived after dark.

Note:  The original entry shows eight miles and seems to indicate the 8 miles included crossing the Utah/Arizona border.  The final journal entry does not mention the eight miles.  See google maps below for mileage explanation.The Tate and Bushman Journal accounts indicate it is between 7 and 8 miles between Johnson and Navajo Well.  The final entry only says they "filled barrels (at Navajo Well) and drove 7 miles to the foot of Buckskin Mountain.

Before Highway 89

A short distance past the Johnson Cemetery going south and 3.1 miles coming north from Highway 89 are Eagle Gate Arch #2, and Lion's Head.  Going South Eagle Gate Arch #2 is on the east side and Lion's Head on the west almost directly across from Eagle Gate Arch.

Lion's Head

Eagle Gate Arch #2
Named after Eagle Gate Arch in Salt Lake City
Click HERE for another picture

Navajo Well

Corral west of Navajo Well

Navajo Well - 1/4 mile west of the monument

"Honeymoon Trail" monument
 east of Navajo Well
To read the plaque click here

This monument was dedicated Thursday, April 7, 2016
It is located 15.2 miles east of Kanab
and just .4 miles south of Highway 89

To read more about the dedication ceremony and the "Honeymoon Trail" click here.

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"Honeymoon Trail" plaque

Pioneer Gap

Jacob "Hamblin and his group were almost certainly the first white men to use the Gap route as they headed for the Colorado river via House Rock Valley in the early 1860s. One often reads in Jacob's diaries about stopping at Navajo Well, a key watering place just west of the Gap. (Wixom, p74)

"There are few landscape changes.  The terrain looks as seemingly remote and lonely today as it must have 100 years ago." (Wixom, p74)  The Anderson family went through Pioneer Gap  from Navajo Well to begin their journey over the Buckskin Mountains. 

near Pioneer Gap

"Drove 7 miles to foot of Buckskin Mountain"

"Honeymoon Trail' signs today before reaching their camping place on 

September 20, 1884.  They also crossed the Utah/Arizona state line

Map A:  The route today from Johnson Cemetery to Navajo Well.
Map B:  The route to Buckskin Mountain.
Map C:  The route from Johnson Cemetery to House Rock.
The Anderson, Tate, and Bushman Journals indicate it was about 7 miles from Navajo Well to the foot of the Buckskin Mountains.  From there it was about 16  miles up, over, and down the mountain.  Then 12 miles to House Rock Spring.  This would equal about 35 miles which does not  match the map below (refresh to see mileage)



Map A:  Shows an L  shaped route today following current highways to Navajo Well.  The pioneers would have taken a more direct route following the trail.   The Tate and Fish accounts of the journey show the distance from Johnson to Navajo Well to be about 8 miles, not nearly 11.  Also the map takes the distance to be from Johnson Cemetery and not Johnson.  There may have been a slight mileage difference.




Map B:  The C. P. Anderson Journal says they went 7 miles to the foot of the Buckskin Mountain.  The map shows Buckskin Mountain at 10 miles so the foot could be seven miles.  The title, "Unnamed Road," shows about where seven miles would be.  The Bushman Journal say the foot of Buckskin Moutains was 8 miles (Mar3) from Navajo Well, and the Tate account says 7 miles (p60).

Map C:  Press + and/or refresh to show the mileage.  This map shows nearly 40 miles from Johnson Cemetery to House Rock Spring (where they would travel the next day)  The Bushman, Tate, and Anderson accounts show the distance to be about 43 miles.  See the map on Day 20 for further clarification and a slight addition to the route.

Today the family traveled only 15 miles because tomorrow would be a long day.  They needed the rest as did their animals.   They would be going up, over, and down the Buckskin Mountains, and then to House Rock Spring. They would meet some people leaving Arizona on their way to Utah.  The grave of May Whiting who had died two years earlier was at House Rock   They would see inscriptions of former travelers who had stopped there.  Were your ancestors part of those travelers who made the journey?  Are their inscriptions at House Rock, other springs along the trail?  If you will drop their names in the "Comments" I will check., 

Inscription at House Rock Spring

Inscription at Navajo Spring

Inscription at Willow Spring

Article on Buckskin Mountains

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