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Pony Express National Historic Trail

Pony Express National Historic Trail

Pony Express National Historic Trail
4.5
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Commemorates America's first postal service, where letters and packages were carried by horse across the country.
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles31 reviews
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Kbecjeans⛺
Salt Lake City, UT20,801 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
The Pony Express Trail covers almost 2000 miles of the country starting in St Joseph Missouri, winding its way through Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and ending in Sacramento CA. While there are several places commemorating this one time express mail route what is unique about the trail through Utah is that a great length of it is still unpaved. You can easily imagine what those riders must have experienced out in the empty prairie and desert riding the horses as fast as they could go.

Yes the route did come through Salt Lake City where they collected mail and then went south roughly along the route now covered by State Street. But the best part of the route is further south and west. Out past Camp Floyd and the old stage coach inn, past the little towns of Vernon and Faust. The paved road ends at Simpson Springs where an old station existed and even going that far will bring you out to the west desert. But if you are prepared you can take the 129 mile dirt road to the Nevada border. Along the way you pass other express station locations that have long since weathered or disappeared. Fish Springs had a station, but now it is a wild life refuge. Callao has a station, but it is on private land. We've camped at an old CCC campground near there. Further on after passing around the Deep Creek Range you'll reach Ibapah and paved road again.

This was also the original path of stagecoaches and the first cross-country Lincoln Highway.

I love driving this route in the spring or fall when it isn't so hot. I love going out to Fish Springs and birding during migration. If you enjoy history, desert or solitude then consider the west desert section of the Pony Express Trail.
Written 30 July 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Primexchange
Salt Lake City, UT42 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2015 • Friends
This Drive through the Western Desert of Utah is not only historically important but also surprisingly picturesque. For those who are travelling from the Salt Lake City area, the route heading west typically starts after Cedar Fort and onwards towards Faust. Historians will appreciate a brief stop at the Fort. After Faust, be prepared to go off-road on long stretches of gravel road, dusty and washboard.

Best time to travel is spring and fall, summers are hot and winters are prone to storms. Although you can make this a full day’s drive, it is not uncommon for people to pull off along the way and camp. Having a full tank of fuel, spare tire and some tools, comes highly recommended. In addition to fuel, take plenty of food and water; vehicles have been known to breakdown or get stuck and people have become stranded for several days before receiving assistance. Know before you go, be prepared!

Simpson Springs is a popular camping area, where there is a historic site with a well preserved structure nearby. For most people who simply make this their destination, you made it, congratulations! In reverence to those who lost their lives along this route, be it known that you were more likely to have been killed as a station master, than if you were a rider; simply because you were a sitting target.

As for those of you who are more adventurous, the trail continues westward. Along the way, you are likely to see Antelopes and Wild Mustangs. For bug people, there are the Mormon Crickets and Tarantula Hawks. For geologists, there are fossils, gemstones and geodes; however these are not necessarily on the trail itself, but at other west desert locations accessible by the trail.

Fish Springs National Wildlife refuge is a wonderful oasis and notable for those who appreciate birds. Eventually you will reach Callao, an active farm community that has a number of historical dwellings. From here, you can travel north towards Gold Hill a mining district that is also inhabited. From here, you can continue through the mountains and eventually find Ibapah Road, a paved highway, which continues north towards Wendover, Nevada. There you can get a hotel and return to SLC via I-80.

Great Basin National Park, however is a great destination if instead you choose to head south from Callao. When you arrive at the interstate, go towards Baker, Nevada. The Park has some great camping, hiking about Wheeler Peak, to the peak or some lakes below. GRBA is also proud to feature Ancient Bristle Cone Pines and the Lehman Caves, a dissolution cave, similar to Timpanogos Cave. To return to SLC, head east towards Delta, Utah and eventually back to I-15.

So, whether you turn around at Simpson Springs, or venture north to Wendover or south to Great Basin, enjoy the picturesque vistas of blue sage, orange dusk and rocky silhouettes. This place is a desert, also known as Basin and Range topography. Please be prepared, not only for your own safety, but also to be inspired by the past and the present. Wishing you the best On the Road!
Written 27 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Heather M
Winnipeg, Canada18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2014 • Friends
I'm not new to Utah, but new to the western part past Lehi into Simpson Springs. It takes you way off the road. Make sure you are riding in an SUV or truck. This is no place for small cars. More like 4 wheelers and bikes.
We set out to experience wild horses and see where the Pony Express rode through. I'm an avid history buff so this was right up my alley. We stopped at a view of the markers, which were destroyed by vandals. NOT COOL.
I spotted about 50 horses to the north. Our crazy friend had us go off the even desolate trail we were initially on to see the horses. It was worth it. Having wild horses near you and to watch them in their natural surroundings is peaceful and beautiful. Took some awesome pictures and did not disturb them. The horses are majestic and regal. The Simpson Springs Pony Express Station is this little house with nothing in it but you are able to get a feel for what the men of the Pony Express trail lived through. There is a semi-clean small bathroom. It's quiet and just desert/mountains all around you. I was at peace and soaked in the atmosphere. Please bring water and make sure your vehicle is in good working order. Cell phone service is limited. Next town is an hour away. It was worth the drive.
Written 10 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ambassador36562
Salt Lake City, UT2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
The only thing here is a small 3 or 4 foot cement block near an intersection in the middle of the valley (about State St. and 7200 S.) In fact, I lived in the area for nearly 6 months, passing the "monument" every day without noticing it's existance until one day when I was stopped at a red light. Don't waste your time.
Written 29 October 2003
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kdk9
Oregon, IL134 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013
peripheral things out here on this trail that you can stop in and check out. Really should be into history because if your not its just a lot of desert. You can geocache out here, you can big for geodes, and you can see wild horses on occasion.please make sure everyone going is a hearty hiker and adventurous because your city slick little girls are not going to enjoy the hot desert. Please make sure you bring plenty of water and gasoline because sometimes you can get lost. the trails and the roads go on forever.
Written 29 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

radmom7
Salt Lake City, Utah15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
This trail goes through bleak, arid areas with blistering summers and cruelly cold winters. The Pony Express riders had to endure this and unfriendly Indians at the time. My mother grew up at the Willow Springs station in Callao, Utah. It is still a 5 hour drive after the paved road ends. The re-enactment each year is thrilling as the riders rush in and exchange mail bags. No wonder the adds for Pony Express Riders said "orphan's preferred".
Written 6 January 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

scribblin
Sandy, UT374 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2016 • Couples
Though the Pony Express Trail was only used for 19 months in 1860-1861, it had a huge impact on American history. The significance of opening a line of communication all the way to California cannot be overstated. To gain a real sense of what it must have been like to ride that trail, head out to Fairfield and visit Camp Floyd and the Fairfield Inn, a stagecoach station that also served as the local Pony Express stop. About five miles past Fairfield, the pavement ends and the gravel road begins. Note: You can take a regular street vehicle down this road (4x4 is recommended, though), but it is very dusty and has a bit of a washboard surface. Drive slowly or risk shaking out your fillings and maybe a few teeth! Watch for large stones with jagged edges that could puncture a tire. The lower sections of the trail can flash flood during heavy rains, so be careful. Before you go, make sure you have a full tank of gas -- the trail is 133 miles long and located in the middle of nowhere. Follow the little trail signs and you'll have no problem.
Written 5 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sherry B
Bridge City, TX1,058 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2015 • Couples
Our kids took us out to this trail. We enjoyed the history, sites, wildlife and high mountain desert. We saw antelope, bald eagle & wild horses. Really enjoyed reading the historic signs. Make sure you have a full tank of gas because there is NOTHING but nature on this road. There are pit toilets occasionally.
Written 19 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hypnosisforwellness
Salt Lake City16 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
My partner and I really enjoy the trail. It is a well maintained dirt road. We start our drive on it where it comes out before Vernon and drive it out to the Dugway Geode beds. Along the way there are historical markers as well as a camp that has a restored building and some interesting sites to investigate. There's lot's to do out in the desert in this particular area of the trail.
Written 28 September 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mini
Fremont, CA212,218 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2016 • Couples
We have been to many historical attractions along the Pony Express Historical Trail.

The Pony Express was used to deliver mail by horseback. It extended from Missouri to Sacramento, California. It operated in 1859 and 1860 for 19 months.

There is still many historical events commemorating the trail, We enjoyed visiting the sites and trail in Utah.
Written 30 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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PONY EXPRESS NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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