José Castro built the first trail from Monterey to Palo Colorado Canyon as early as 1853, when he filed a map of his purchase. A rough trail from Carmel to Mill Creek (present-day Bixby Canyon) was in use by about 1855. The area was very isolated and only the sturdiest and most self-sufficient settlers stayed. In 1870, Charles Henry Bixby and his father hired men to improve the track and constructed the first wagon road including 23 bridges from the Carmel Mission to Bixby Creek.