5 WAYS TO EXPERIENCE RICH WESTERN HISTORY For history buffs and Old West enthusiasts alike, Sweetwater County offers a unique view into the past. A number of historic sites, trails and museums give you an opportunity to experience what it was like in the days of the pioneers and beyond. From dinosaur fossils to Native American artifacts, come create your most memorable historic adventure with these five must-see attractions. #1 HISTORIC PIONEER TRAILS The opportunities chased in the 1800s by pioneers who braved unsettled lands are still evident in the network of Southwest Wyoming’s historic trails. Just like the wooden wheels carved the land, it’s easy to carve out an adventure of your own. No other place in the United States has more miles of still-visible pioneer trails than Sweetwater County. The Oregon Trail Easily one of the most famous pioneer trails in the United States, the Oregon Trail was a major thoroughfare that guided about 400,000 people across the vast expanse of the West from 1846 to 1869. The 2,000-mile trail helped expand the California Gold Rush and connected the Missouri River Valley with the Oregon coast. The stretch through Sweetwater County is one of the most intact today. HOW TO ACCESS IT: Fort Bridger State Historic Park, Pilot Buttes Trail Site or South Pass State Historic Site. Pony Express Route In the early 1860s, the Pony Express passed through Sweetwater County during the height of its service. As the main source of information from coast to coast, riders accessed a series of relay stations along a central trail. The terrain offered mail carriers expanses where they could ride a horse at full gallop and then change horses at the next station, which cut mail delivery times by 10 days. HOW TO ACCESS IT: Fort Bridger State Historic Park and South Pass State Historic Park. Cherokee Trail Also known as the Trappers Trail, Cherokee Trail was primarily used by cattlemen driving herds north and south and by droves of hopefuls seeking their fortunes in gold. The area’s economic growth and the settlement of the West owes much to this historic trail that ran from Oklahoma through Kansas and Colorado into Wyoming. HOW TO ACCESS IT: Take an AWD vehicle just north of Baggs to the old Emigrant Trail, east of US-191. It eventually crosses Dans Creek, Little Bitter Creek and Sage Creek (twice) before arriving at the Green River just above the Blacks Fork River Confluence. Overland Trail Famously used by the Overland Stage Company in the mid-1800s, the Overland Trail was used frequently as a mail route to Salt Lake City. The Overland Stage Company had purchased the bankrupt assets of the Pony Express in 1861 which created an alternate route to Oregon and California, paving the way for significant development in those areas. Today, the Overland Trail is one of the most accessible pioneer trails in Sweetwater County. HOW TO ACCESS IT: Point of Rocks and Granger along I-80. Mormon Trail Taking a leap of faith, thousands of Latter Day Saints made their way west in the mid-1800s to get to their church in the heart of Salt Lake City. The Mormon Trail passed through a substantial portion of Sweetwater County, following roughly the same route of the Oregon Trail and the California and Pony Express Trails. HOW TO ACCESS IT: Fort Bridger State Historic Park or South Pass State Historic Park. HISTORY // 20
Sweetwater County Official Travel Guide 2019 Sweetwater County Official Travel Guide: Page 20
