Cooke's wagon road was the first through the Southwest to California and was used by emigrants relocating to California, by the military, and later by the Southern Pacific railroad. Major highways follow portions of the trail today. Later, miners and settlers traveled along parts of the wagon trail Cooke established--for only 3 years later thousands poured over the trail on the way to the California gold rush.

Monument to the Mormon Battalion along NM27 near Lake Valley.