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People have been walking in one another’s footsteps in California for at least 12,000 years, so there’s not much sense in talking about firsts or seconds. Suffice it to say that with more than 250 years of history, el Camino Real, or the California Mission Trail, is old school.

Begun in the late 17^th century with the first missions down in Baja California, the American part of the trail today links 21 old Catholic missions (or ruins thereof) from San Antonio de Alcalá in San Diego to Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma – over 600 miles apart.They were designed to be a day’s walk apart – that’s 21 missions in…21 days, though Google maps says walking this route should take “about seven days, seven hours.” if you or anyone you know can walk from San Diego to north of San Francisco in seven days and seven hours (or even twenty one days!) we’ll put you in the Hall of Fame, padre.

We know this route can be reclaimed for car-free travel.

We need to hear about where to sleep – fancy or frugal.

We need reports on every section of the trip, long or short.

Be sure to check these other Weekendwalk Stories related to the California Mission Trail/El Camino Real:

• More about American Legacy Routes in General