Marsh Pass, also known as La Puerta Limita, "The Border Gate", is a gap in

Navajo County, Arizona Navajo County is in the northern part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 106,717. The county seat is Holbrook. Navajo County comprises the Show Low, Arizona Micropolitan Statistical Area. Navajo County co ...

. It lies at an elevation of along

Laguña Creek Laguña Creek also formerly also known as Tyende Creek, is a stream in the Navajo and Apache Counties of Arizona. Laguña Creek has its source at , at the confluence of Long Canyon and Dowozhiebito Canyon at an elevation of at the head of Ts ...

. The name of Marsh Pass is thought to come from its location along a chain of swamps and lakes in the pass, that have since been drained by a deep

arroyo Arroyo often refers to: * Arroyo (creek), an intermittently dry creek Arroyo may also refer to: People * Arroyo (surname) Places United States ;California * Arroyo Burro Beach, a public beach park in Santa Barbara County, California * Arroyo ...

.Granger, Byrd H. ''Arizona's Names (X Marks the Place)''. Tucson: The Falconer Publishing Company, 1983.

History

The original Spanish name of the pass, ''La Puerta Limita'', indicated the border between the Mexican provinces of

Santa Fe de Nuevo México Santa Fe de Nuevo México ( en, Holy Faith of New Mexico; shortened as Nuevo México or Nuevo Méjico, and translated as New Mexico in English) was a Kingdom of the Spanish Empire and New Spain, and later a territory of independent Mexico. The ...

and

Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...

to the west. Marsh Pass was a location along the Armijo Route of the Old Spanish Trail between present day

Kayenta Kayenta ( nv, ) is a U.S. town which is part of the Navajo Nation and is in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. Established November 13, 1986, the Kayenta Township is the only "township" existing under the laws of the Navajo Nation, making it u ...

and the Crossing of the Fathers on the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...

. There the route turned northwest toward the crossing on the Colorado River.

References

{{coord, 36, 39, 06, N, 110, 25, 48, W, display=title, source:GNIS Mountain passes of Arizona Old Spanish Trail (trade route)