6) Guernsey State Park – on WY 317 off US 26.  The park includes a total of 245 campsites in seven campgrounds and three boat ramp areas.  The park also features the Guernsey Museum, miles of scenic hiking trails leading to the “Castle” and Brimmer Point, some of the finest the Rocky Mountain area examples of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) work.

7) Wheatland – South on I-25.  Visitors can explore the area’s history at the Laramie Peak Museum. A vibrant, historic downtown features unique shops, friendly residents, beautiful parks, eye-catching murals and hiking and biking trails. The nearby Grey Rocks Reservoir makes a scenic day trip.

8) Chugwater – South of Wheatland on I-25.  Once a stage stop on the famous Deadwood to Cheyenne route, and home to million-acre Swan Land and Cattle Company, today visitors can enjoy old time shakes and malts at the Chugwater Soda Foundation, the oldest working soda fountain in Wyoming.

9) Glendo – North of Wheatland and Guernsey on I-25.  The Glendo Historical Museum features an extensive fossil collection, pioneer historic items and Native American artifacts. The community also serves as the gateway to Glendo State Park, a great place for boating, fishing, hiking and biking.  Day-use and overnight facilities include marina services, fishing equipment and motel units.

10) Douglas – Northwest and just off I-25. The Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum displays artifacts and materials from pioneer and area Western History. Eight miles outside of town is the Fort Fetterman State Historic Site with a museum and self-guided tours.

11) Casper – On I-25. The North Platte River, just east of present-day Casper, was one of the few places the Oregon, Mormon, California and Pony Express Trails converged. The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center features lifelike displays, interactive exhibits and an acclaimed video dramatizing pioneer diaries. 2022 will be the Center’s 20th Anniversary and visitors can also climb inside the Conestoga Ride to experience a pioneer river crossing and try pulling a Mormon Handcart. The adjacent Visit Casper Welcome Center and Scenic Overlook has information on the historic sites and attractions in the area.

Historic Trails West guides visitors to Trail ruts by wagon or horseback. The Fort Caspar Museum includes the fully reconstructed fort complete with barracks, officers’ quarters, telegraph office and artifacts. The fort’s grounds include replicas of the Mormon Ferry and Guinard Bridge. Evansville Park in northeast Casper has a replica of John Richard’s Reshaw Bridge used by pioneers. Other great visitor attractions include the Tate Geological Museum, Werner Wildlife Museum, the Nicolaysen Art Museum & the Discovery Center and the Science Zone for families.

Go to VisitCasper.com.

12) Independence Rock and Martin’s Cove – Southwest of Casper and Alcova on WY 220. Independence Rock State Historic Site is west of the Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge and reservoir.  Father De Smet named the cliff “Great Register of the Desert” in 1841 because of the many Prehistoric and pioneer names and images carved into the rock. A little further south is the Mormon Handcart Historic Site at Martin’s Cove where many Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints took shelter during a deadly blizzard in 1856. Today the Mormon Handcart Visitor Center features historical exhibits, and a walking trail to the Sweetwater Monument.

13) The Sixth Crossing Visitor Center – US 287 between Lander and Jeffrey City.  The center features exhibits on the rescue of the Willie Handcart Company who were caught in the deadly blizzard of 1856.

26) Great Salt Lake Viewing Area – 14 miles west of Salt Lake City on I-80 at mile marker 104. At Exit stop sign, makers are 200 feet to the left. This roadside turnout includes historic markers for a view across the lake and Stanbury Island. The historical marker commemorates mountain man and trailblazer Jedediah Smith.

27) Stansbury Park – Off I-80 on UT 138. The Ezra T. Benson Grist Mill was built by Latter-Day Saint pioneers in 1854 and is mentioned in pioneer diaries. Today the site includes the original gristmill, a sawmill, a re-created and operating gristmill, a country store, blacksmith shop, several historic cabins, barns, and picnic facilities.

28) Grantsville – on UT 138. The Donner-Reed Museum features such an extensive collection of Hastings Cutoff pioneer artifacts that it has been called “Grandmother’s attic”. The grounds include a commemorative monument, wayside exhibits, an-1853 cabin, and a unique cage-like jail built in 1863. The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum is open by appointment only.  Call (435) 884-3767 or (435) 884-4311.

The Pony Express Trail

29) Bluffdale – Southbound I-15 at Exit 288. A stone marker is at the location of  Rockwell’s Station, once a Pony Express mail station, hotel and brewery operated by Orrin Porter Rockwell, often called “The Destroying Angel.”

30) Lehi – Located off I-15 at Exit 279. John Hutchins Museum of Natural History features exhibits on the Pony Express, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints pioneers, and native peoples of the area. The Eagle Mountain Pony Express Trail Segment features pedestrian, bike, and equestrian trails, as well as wayside exhibits along the original Pony Express Trail.

31) Camp Floyd / Stage Coach Inn State Park and Museum – West of I-15 off UT 73. Established by the U.S. Army and built with the help of local citizens in 1858, the camp was the largest military installation before the army left for the Civil War in 1861. The Commissary Building includes a museum with historic exhibits and the Stagecoach Inn features furnishings of the period.

32) Faust – Turnout on the west side of UT 36. A 1939 Civilian Conservation Corps-constructed monument marks the site of Faust’s Station. This site, also called Rush Valley Station, was where Pony Express riders ate and slept after completing their relay west of Salt Lake City.

The Pony Express Trail National Back County Byway is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and follows 123-miles of unpaved roads along the original Pony Express route in western Utah. The route meets unpaved roads west of Faust. The byway crosses remote sagebrush country that looks much like it did in the 1860s. There are interpretive stops at Pony Express station sites along the way. Historical sites along the way include Boyd Station, northwest of the Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, and the Canyon Station. The roads are suitable for two-wheel drive vehicles when dry, but high clearance is advised. A tour along the byway typically takes 10 to 12 hours. The route meets pavement at Ibapah near the Utah and Nevada border.

Go to: blm.gov/utah.

Central Utah

33) Provo/Utah Valley – South of Salt Lake City on I-15. Provo is home to Brigham Young University which features the Museum of Art, the Covey Center for Fine Arts and the BYU Museum of Paleontology. Utah Valley includes the Uinta-Wasatch Cache National Forest, Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort, and the scenic Bridal Veil Falls.

34) Manti-La Sal National Forest – Southeast of Provo on US 6/89. This National Forest offers hiking, biking, climbing, camping, fishing, hunting and off-road vehicles.

Go to: fs.usda.gov/attmain/mantilasal.

Southern Utah

The Old Spanish Trail This National Historic Trail was originally a pack trail from Santa Fe to Los Angeles that was used primarily by traders from 1829-1848. It followed several variant routes through New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and California. Beginning in 1848, the Mormons converted the western part of the trail into a wagon road from Salt Lake City to southern California. The Old Spanish Trail route enters southeastern Utah near present-day Monticello.

35) Monticello – At the intersection of US 491 and 191. The Monticello Visitor Center provides information and maps for southeastern Utah National Parks and scenic sights in the area.

36) Canyonlands National Park – West of Newspaper Rock Recreation Site on UT 211. Look upon staggering waves of deep canyons, towering mesas, pinnacles, cliffs and spires encompassing 527-square miles. The Needles District, featuring red rock spires and sandstone fins, requires backcountry use permits and high clearance 4WD vehicles.

Go to: nps.gov/cany/index.htm

37) Moab – Located off US 191, the Moab Visitor Center provides information on Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and western Manti-La Sal National Forest. The Moab Museum, an Old Spanish National Historic Trail Certified Site, features interpretive galleries with southeastern Utah’s natural and human history.

38) Arches National Park – Located of U.S. Highway 191, is the Arches National Park’s Visitor Center and the main entrance is to the Park. South of Arches National Park South of Arches National Park South of Arches National Park is Dead Horse Point State Park. Visitors can enjoy desert canyons, high desert woodland, and miles of trails with memorable views. The park includes wonderful campgrounds with modern amenities.

Go to: StateParks.Utah.gov.

39) Green River – Located off I-70 in southcentral Utah. The John Wesly Powell River Museum is an Old Spanish National Historic Trail Certified Site.

40) Castle Dale – Located north of I-70 on UT 10. The Museum of the San Rafael Swell is an Old Spanish National Historic Trail Certified Site. The museum features dinosaur fossils, life-like wild animals in natural settings, and artifacts from early native peoples who lived in the area.