A Mountain Man Travels To California

Jedediah Strong Smith, one of the most legendary figures of the American fur trade, became the first U.S. citizen to reach California overland through the rugged Southwest. His first trip to California in 1826 was an extraordinary journey, marked by hardship, courage, and encounters that reshaped the course of his short but adventurous life.

Smith had already established himself as a skilled trapper and explorer in the Rocky Mountain fur trade by the mid-1820s. Employed by William Henry Ashley of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, Smith and his companions ranged far beyond the established trade routes, venturing into uncharted lands. In August 1826, Smith led a party of about 15 men from the Great Salt Lake across the desert westward, seeking new beaver streams and trade opportunities. Their aim was to reach the Pacific coast, a daring idea at a time when California was still a distant Mexican province, largely closed to foreign traders.

The journey proved grueling. Smith’s men crossed what is now Nevada, enduring scorching heat, scarce water, and vast stretches of barren land. At times, they nearly died of thirst, forcing them to push their animals to exhaustion in desperate searches for springs or riverbeds. Smith’s leadership and insistence on discipline kept the men alive when others might have perished. His determination was rooted in a blend of religious conviction and personal ambition—he believed he was destined to explore and expand the boundaries of knowledge and commerce.

After weeks of suffering in the deserts, Smith’s party reached the Colorado River near present-day Needles, California. There they encountered the Mojave people, who at first welcomed them warmly and provided food. But relations soured quickly during their attempt to cross the Mojave Desert. In one attack, the Mojave killed ten of Smith’s men, leaving him with only a handful of survivors. Despite this devastating loss, Smith pressed on. His resilience and ability to adapt under crisis became trademarks of his career.

By late 1826, Smith and his remaining men finally arrived at Mission San Gabriel, near modern Los Angeles. Their arrival astonished the Spanish-speaking Californios, who were unaccustomed to seeing Anglo-American explorers appear from the desert on foot. Smith was questioned by Mexican authorities, who regarded foreign trappers with suspicion, fearing American designs on their remote province. Nevertheless, the Californians provided some hospitality, and Smith carefully explained that he sought only to trap beaver and open trade.

Although under close watch, Smith used his time in California to study the land and consider its potential. He marveled at the fertile valleys, the abundance of natural resources, and the contrast between the mission system and the free-ranging life of the Plains and mountains. His journals recorded detailed observations of the land, which later informed American understanding of California before the Gold Rush era.

In 1827, Smith and his men prepared to leave, making the arduous return journey northward through the San Joaquin Valley and then back toward the Great Basin. This first trip to California marked the beginning of his reputation as one of the most fearless and resourceful pathfinders of the American West. He had crossed deserts few dared to enter, survived massacres, and opened new routes that would later serve emigrants, soldiers, and traders.

Jedediah Smith’s first journey into California was not only a test of endurance but also a pivotal moment in the opening of the American West. It brought the United States its earliest detailed accounts of Mexican California and demonstrated the sheer willpower required to bridge the vast and unforgiving wilderness that separated the Mississippi frontier from the Pacific.

To learn more about Smith’s trip to California, check out our episode covering his personal journals from his trip! Link below.