Compared to such famous frontier paths as Lewis and Clark's route and the Oregon Trail, most people know little about the seminal trade route we call the Santa Fe Trail, yet this rough wagon road endured longer than any other American trail west of the Mississippi River. From 1821 to 1880, bold and daring men loaded their wagons with trade goods and set out from Missouri to Santa Fe, in the newly independent nation of Mexico. These merchants, teamsters, and travelers exchanged not only material goods, but also ideas and customs, forever altering the cultural and political landscape for American, Mexican, and Indian peoples along the route. Taking the reader on an imaginative tour from end to end, author Ronald Dulle often stops to explore how wagon trains are organized or what a campsite looks like; to notice the strange food, clothing, and habits of the day; or to imagine the feeling of a rainy day in the saddle. With dozens of stunning color photographs and a fascinating narrative, Dulle helps readers envision the frontier experience and appreciate the myriad material and cultural changes the Santa Fe Trail brought to our growing nation.