Pony Express National Historic Trail

National Historic Trail · CA, CO, KS, MO, NE, NV, UT, WY · nps.gov page

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.Photo: NPS photo

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.

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Photos

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.Photo: NPS photo
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.Photo: NPS photo
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.Photo: NPS photo
A large brick historic stable.
Visit the historic stables in St. Joseph, Missouri.Photo: NPS Photo

Park information and photos come from the National Park Service. This is not an official NPS site.