The trail crosses eight states following an impressive relay system established in 1860 to deliver mail in 10 days, which was unprecedented for the time. The route roughly followed the oregon trail, mormon trail and california trail. Joseph, missouri, to sacramento, california in the days before the telegraph. The historic pony express trail was also used by the overland stage and many immigrant groups heading to california. The pony express was a mail service delivering messages, newspapers, mail, even small packages from st. Joseph, missouri, to sacramento, california from april 1860 to october 1861. In the era before electronic communication, the pony express was the thread that tied east to west. Hymne des pony express, german trail, 2012 youtube.
Complete the program by using the official map and guide text look for. The national park service geographic resources program hosts an interactive trails map viewer. As part of the rei coop family, were dedicated to making websites and mobile apps that help outdoor enthusiasts connect, share information and get. The pony express national historic trail is the route where young men on horseback once carried the nations mail across the country between 1860 and 1861. Sesquicentennial rendezvous kiosk celebration eureka nevada.
Created specifically for nevadas pony express territory, the nevada pony. Pony express station hollenberg ranch and the pony express begun in 1858, the hollenberg ranch, four miles north and one mile east of here, served as a stop on the oregoncalifornia trail until the late 1860s. Horse and rider relay mail service took about 10 days to cover the 1,800 mile route and operated from april 1860 to october 1861 when the transcontinenetal telegraph system opened. This year is the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the pony express which captured the imagination of the country.
Pony express national historic trail has its own junior ranger program. Every year, the national pony express association has hundreds of riders recreate the. Today, you can relive the adventure while retracing the route with the travelers guide to the pony express trail. The pony express service was contracted with the federal government to deliver mail on horseback mail traveled from missouri to california in ten days on horseback. Your letter will be carried on horseback by over 700 riders along the original 1,966 mile pony express trail in just 10 days. Visit trail traces, visitor centers, museums, hiking trails, historic structures and forts related to the pony express national historic trail. Along the route visitors can enjoy history and a variety of recreation. At the time, it became the united states fastest direct route of eastcoast westcoast mail and communications years before the telegraph. The pony express national historic trail goes through blm managed lands in california, colorado, nevada, utah, and wyoming. Apr 16, 2015 the pony express is a mail service that spurred due to the threat of the civil war blocking means of communication to the west.
National pony express association here comes the pony. Karl meltzer delivers record pony express run outside online. Shows route of pony express with names and location of relay stations. Pony express trail xp and lovers leap trail mountain. Pony express national historic trail in the united states is the historic route of the pony express where men on horseback once carried the nations mail across the country between 1860 and 1861.
Pony express national historic trail in old town sacramento, california. Whether you are exploring offroad or by car, historic pony express route and simpson springs is a must see. The pony express and trail was originally proposed for faster mail service crossings over the north american continent from saint joseph, mo, to sacramento, ca, at about april 1860 to about october 1861. Leaving seneca, the stage and pony express trail passed northwest, rejoining the military road at the crossing of wildcat creek in the ne14 s24 t2s r11e. The nearly 2000mile route passes through a variety of public and private lands. My history passion centers on the period of american history from 1840 to. May 17, 2019 pony express station hollenberg ranch and the pony express begun in 1858, the hollenberg ranch, four miles north and one mile east of here, served as a stop on the oregoncalifornia trail until the late 1860s. The horseandrider system became the united states most direct and practical means of eastwest. The pony express was a system that delivered mail on horseback between missouri and california.
First a little history about the pony express, taken from wikipedia. Riding the pony express trail motorcycle utah dualsport bmw gs ktm klr advrider duration. Pony express trail map pony express national historic trail. The course is very remote and a support crew is required to provide support along the way. The national pony express association npea strives to keep the spirit and memory of the pony express alive. Pony express national historic trail home facebook. Collect letters, avoid obstacles and aim for the ultimate 100. Keep your eye out for 4foot cement posts on the lefthand side of the road that mark the actual pony express trail. A couple of friends had done the pony express trail ride in 1994 and i was very impressed by their fortitude and endurance. Pony express reride passes through area local news starherald.
Outings along the route can be customized to provide the degree of challenge appropriate for any particular group. Lc trails, available also through the library of congress. The name pony express evokes images of courageous young men crossing long stretches of country, frequently under harsh conditions, facing the constant. Gerat and sophia hollenberg, german emigrants, sold food and other supplies, lodging, and draft animals to passing travelers. Cycling the pony express trail kansas cyclist news.
The nearly 2,000mile route passes through a variety of public and private lands. Although a financially disastrous brief enterprise, the pony express and. Pony xpress mountain biking trail lithgow trailforks. Make the most of your visit to nevadas pony express territory with this amazing app. Pony express successfully implements mobile service centers. As a result of the 1849 gold rush, the 1847 mormon exodus to utah and the thousands who moved west on the oregon trail starting in the 1840s, the need for a fast mail service beyond the rocky mountains became obvious. It is hard to believe that young men once rode horses to carry mail from missouri to california in the unprecedented time of only 10 days. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination and ambition. Download the junior ranger program, print the program front to back, and fold it in half. Pony express route april 3, 1860 october 24, 1861 copy 1. Joseph, missouri across the great plains, over the rocky mountains and the sierra nevada to sacramento, california by horseback, using a series of relay stations.
Sep 04, 2008 the pony express trail route was once used to carry the nations mail from st. Pony express national backcountry byway map author. Using the trail, men and horses could cover the entire 1,800mile route in just 10 days. A website could be built to focus on one of the many uses such as a runners trail or a 4x4 scenic route or for geocaching. The pony express ohv trail app is free to download a download for up to six trail sections by town on your apple or android operating systems. When the flyer for the 1995 ride landed in my mailbox, a little voice in me asked, wow could you do this ride, glee. The pony express is a mail service that spurred due to the threat of the civil war blocking means of communication to the west. There is camping available at simpson springs campground, and plenty of land to roam.
The service lasted for only about a year and a half in the early 1860s. Your respect for pony club wishes is greatly appreciated. Pony express route april 3, 1860 october 24, 1861 pictorial map. Pony express trail synonyms, pony express trail antonyms. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Come join us and camp on the national historic pony express trail land just like they did in the 1860s and bring your horses and ride on the pony express trail for 3 days if you wish and see the horsefriendly px kiosk site off highway 278, garden pass, eureka, nevada. Lingle rider tony goulart jogs along the pony express trail east of fort laramie. To prove it, meltzer recently completed the firstever run of the full 2,064mile pony express route in 40 days. There is camping available at simpson springs campground, and plenty of. The pony express is one of the most colorful episodes in american history, one which can be used to measure not only the growth of the nation, but the pioneering spirit of our predecessors. After about 5 miles along this road in the valley, it turns west at government creek 8. The travelers guide to the pony express trail historic.
The pony express riders carried 34,753 pieces of mail across what was the most desolate and dangerous terrain in north america. Please contact the bureau of land management salt lake field office for more information. The official facebook page of the pony express national historic trail, administered by. Pony express trail 100 davy crocketts running frontier. Here you can download the tender for pony express 2017.
Pony express rider crossing hostile country between st joseph, missouri, and san francisco, pursued by native americans. Today its a route to high adventure for families and youth groups. Heres your chance to run in the wild west on the historic pony express trail in western utah. Messages were carried on horseback relay across the prairies, plains, deserts, and mountains of the western united states. The trail is primarily used for scenic driving and off road driving. The pony express was a fast mail service crossing the north american continent from st. Jun 09, 2017 riding the pony express trail motorcycle utah dualsport bmw gs ktm klr advrider duration. Pony express ads recruiting riders said orphans preferred. This is the story of an attempt to combine two of my passions. Pony express trail xp and lovers leap trail mountain bike. A color, topographical map of the entire pony express nht is available as an acrobat pdf document 1. Nevertheless, the pony express is well remembered in stories about the american west. Pony express national historic trail visit the usa.
The pony express was a mail service delivering messages, newspapers, and mail using relays of horsemounted riders that operated from april 3, 1860, to october 1861 between missouri and california in the united states of america. Pony express national historic trail national trails guide. At 2 points you exit on to fs roads and you have to try to relocate the trail further on so pay attention to the gps track on the mtb project mobile app at these 2 places. To begin tracing the hoofprints of the pony visit the camp floyd stagecoach inn state park on state highway 73, 5 miles south of cedar fort.
Nov 16, 2011 studded with 153 stations, the pony express trail used 80 riders and between 400 and 500 horses to carry mail from the settled midwest to the new state of california. Download the text only trail brochure in large print andor the information found below. Riding injuries put unnecessary stress on medical systems that need all available resources to fight the virus, and group rides increase your chances of exposure. It sounds good in print, but the advertisement didnt come into existence until 1923 for a magazine cover, said pat hearty of south jordan, utah division president for the national pony express. Joseph, mo and sacramento, ca, crossed the great salt lake desert and is one of tooele countys most important historical landmarks. Ash point, ten miles northwest of seneca, was the locale of uncle johns grocery mentioned by richard burton in 1860. The famous pony express trail, which from 186061 ran for nearly 2,000 miles between st.
Riders could deliver mail in just 10 days, compared to the three weeks traditional stagecoach delivery required. Visit trail traces, visitor centers, museums, hiking trails, historic structures and. Pony express national historic trail salt lake city 2020. The service opened officially on april 3, 1860, when riders left simultaneously from st. The horseandrider system became the united states most direct and practical means of eastwest communications before the telegraph, delivering mail. Download the 2020 runner handbook visit our facebook group for the latest race news and get questions answered. Rutenbrock nach wehlen, wehlen nach steinberg, steinberg nach sebnitz. Please fill it out and send it by post to rainer schatter. The trail crosses eight states following an impressive relay system.
In 1860 the pony express greatly sped up crosscountry mail delivery using courageous endurance riders who were young, good horsemen, accustomed to outdoor life, able to endure severe hardship and fatigue, and fearless. Be a junior ranger pony express national historic trail. The pet ohv trail app alerts users to points of interest and lets them upload trail photos. Joseph, missouri, and sacramento, california, and from sacramento to san francisco, california, by steamer april 1860october 1861. The lithgow pony club have monthly local events during which they have young inexperienced riders in the gully up to the bottom of the trail do not, under any circumstance ride through the grounds while a horse event is taking place. Npea was established in 1978 to honor the memory and endeavors of the pony express riders of 18601861 and to identify, preserve, and mark the original pony express route through the eight states it crossed. Jan 21, 2020 it is hard to believe that young men once rode horses to carry mail from missouri to california in the unprecedented time of only 10 days. The pony express trail national backcountry byway begins near fairfield and ends at ibapah, utah. Joseph to kansas, it followed what is modern day us 36the pony express highwayto marysville, kansas, where it turned northwest following little blue river to. This is a map of the pony express trail national backcountry byway located in western utah.
456 1017 1109 23 799 1261 1188 120 1111 153 1065 929 1301 889 296 1263 563 1552 1146 1120 206 33 460 1167 1681 412 1590 1292 488 934 1401 728 872 325 679 809