The best books about the Santa Fe Trail are Josiah Gregg's Commerce of the Prairies (1844) for the classic firsthand account, Susan Shelby Magoffin's diary Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico for the eyewitness narrative, and Marc Simmons's The Old Trail to Santa Fe for the best modern guide. Opened in 1821 and traveled until the railroad reached New Mexico in 1880, the Santa Fe Trail was the artery that connected the United States to New Mexico — first for trade, then for conquest. This reading list pairs the great primary sources with the histories. For the collecting view, see the Santa Fe Trail collecting guide; for the broader story, Best Books About New Mexico History.
Published June 2026 · Curated by Josh Eldred, New Mexico Literacy Project
Commerce of the Prairies — Josiah Gregg
The classic. Gregg, a Santa Fe trader, wrote the definitive firsthand account of the trail's commerce in the 1830s and '40s — the wagons, the caravans, the dangers, and the economy that bound Missouri to Mexican New Mexico. The single most important primary source on the trail, and surprisingly readable.
Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico — Susan Shelby Magoffin
The diary of an eighteen-year-old bride who traveled the trail with her trader husband in 1846–47, arriving in Santa Fe just as the United States seized New Mexico. Intimate, vivid, and historically priceless — among the best eyewitness accounts of both the trail and the conquest.
The Old Trail to Santa Fe — Marc Simmons
Collected essays on the trail by the dean of New Mexico historians, drawing on a lifetime of research and trail-walking. The best modern companion — vivid on the people, the places, and the daily reality of the journey.
The Santa Fe Trail — R. L. Duffus
The classic narrative history that introduced generations of readers to the trail. Older now, but graceful and comprehensive — a fine single-volume overview to read alongside the primary sources.
Wah-to-yah and the Taos Trail — Lewis H. Garrard
A teenager's vivid 1846–47 account of the mountain branch toward Taos, including the aftermath of the Taos Revolt. One of the liveliest firsthand narratives of the frontier Southwest, and a perfect companion to Gregg and Magoffin.
The older road
The Santa Fe Trail connected New Mexico east to the United States — but for two centuries before it, the Camino Real connected Santa Fe south to Mexico City. Read together, the two trade routes tell the whole story of how goods, people, and power moved through New Mexico before the railroad.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best book about the Santa Fe Trail?
Josiah Gregg's Commerce of the Prairies for the firsthand account, and Marc Simmons's The Old Trail to Santa Fe for the best modern guide.
What was the Santa Fe Trail?
The 19th-century trade route from Missouri to Santa Fe, opened in 1821 and used until the railroad arrived in 1880.
Did a woman write about the trail?
Yes — Susan Shelby Magoffin's 1846–47 diary, Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico, is a priceless eyewitness account.
Cite This Guide
Eldred, J. (June 2026). Best Books About the Santa Fe Trail. New Mexico Literacy Project.
https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/best-books-about-the-santa-fe-trail
Original curation by Josh Eldred. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.