Pony Express National Historic Trail


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. This relay system along the Pony Express National Historic Trail in eight states was the most direct and practical means of east-west communications before the telegraph.

You can visit many sites of the Pony Express National Historic Trail over the 1,800-mile historic route that crosses 8 states.

  • Auto and ATV
  • Scenic Driving
  • Guided Tours
  • Self-Guided Tours - Auto
  • Hiking
  • Horse Trekking
  • Horseback Riding
  • Living History
  • Reenactments
  • Museum Exhibits

  • Archeology
  • Ruins
  • Arts
  • Photography
  • Explorers and Expeditions
  • Monuments and Memorials
  • Westward Expansion
  • Trails

Simpson Spring NPEA rider, Utah

A rider in a red vest on a horse in a grassy patch surrounded by sagebrush with clouds in the sky.

A National Pony Express Association rider poses at Simpson Springs in Utah.

Devil's Gate, Wyoming

A tall rock buttress with a cleft in the center sits behind a sagebrush covered valley.

Devil's Gate was an important landmark on the trail in Wyoming.

Schelbourne Station, Nevada

A footbridge leads to a dark steel silhouette of a Pony Express rider.

A Pony Express rider silhouette can be found at the Schelbourne Station site in Nevada.

Fort Laramie NHS monument, Wyoming

A tall obelisk monument with bronze plaques sits on a paved pathway in front of a building.

A monument and plaque about the Pony Express can be found at Fort Laramie in Wyoming.

Stables at St. Joseph

A large brick historic stable.

Visit the historic stables in St. Joseph, Missouri.