Lander Area Chamber of Commerce 2014 Travel and Relocation Guide | Page 22

Historic

Trails & Mines

Miners Exchange, Jail & Libby House at South Pass City, Wyoming; Photo
Courtesy of South Pass City State Historic Site

If you are interested in historic
trails, you will want to plan to spend
time in the Lander area. Here you
will find some of the most pristine
areas for the Oregon, Mormon,
California-49er and Pony Express
Trails.
South Pass is the gentle ascent
where the trail crosses the
Continental Divide. Emigration
began in 1843 when over 1,000
people made the 2,000-mile trip.
Close to 500,000 individuals
traveled this route over the
Continent heading for Utah,
California and Oregon. The last
recorded wagon crossed South Pass
in 1912. Wagon ruts and the graves
of those who died along the way
are still visible today.
South Pass City is now a renovated
historic site offering visitors a
glimpse into the past. The site is
open during the summer months
and is approximately 30 miles from
Lander.

Atlantic City dates back to the
1860s when thousands rushed to
the area to be a part of Wyoming’s
first gold rush. Today Atlantic
City provides visions of the gold
rush years as well as camping,
cabins, a bed and breakfast, and a
restaurant/bar that is a National
Historic Site. Miner’s Delight, an
original mining camp established
in 1867, is now a ghost town open
to visitors wanting to walk back in
time. Camp Stambaugh, a few miles
away, was established in 1870 to
protect the area.

Detailed maps and other
information are available from
the Lander Area Chamber of
Commerce office. If you are
considering making some of these
backroad treks, it is important to
remember access depends on the
weather conditions, and in some
cases a 4-wheel drive vehicle is
required.

to include Sweetwater Station, Split
Rock and Devil’s Gate to continue
your historical journey. Martin’s
Cove, near Devil’s Gate, is where
as many as 145 members of the
Martin Handcart Company died
in an early winter blizzard in 1856.
The Sun Ranch Mormon Handcart
Visitors Center provides access to
Martin’s Cove.

Close to South Pass you will find
Willie’s Handcart Monument, a
place dedicated to the 75 members
of the Willie Handcart Company
who lost their lives in a midOctober 1856 winter storm. Here
you will see ruts of the OregonMormon Trail. Oregon Buttes
Road will lead you to the most
pristine sections of the OregonMormon Trail, and at South Pass
overlook, you will be able to
imagine the hardships of the trail.
Abandoned Cabins at

Follow Highway 287/789 southeast

Miner’s Delight; Photo

Courtesy of Bob Townsen

d

Waltman South Pass City Historic Mine Trail & Byway
South Pass City to Waltman is the
first driving route to be designated
a Wyoming Historic
Mine Trail &
Byway. This project
was funded by the
Wyoming State
Legislature during the
winter of 2006.
The Historic Trail
& Byway seeks to
highlight the diverse
history of mining in
Wyoming. The Historic
Trail system will also
focus on the economic
22

and social impact that the mineral

ntic City, Wyoming;

Duncan Mine near Atla

tta Winebrenner

Photo Courtesy of Rae

www.landerchamber.com

industry has had
on Wyoming
and its
development.
Interpretive
signs
discussing the
diversity and
impact of
the mineral
industry will
be placed
along
Wyoming’s
highways
and back
roads .

The first trail was inaugurated in
the spring of 2006 and originates
at the gold mines of South Pass
City, then progresses to the iron
ore mine at Atlantic City. The
route then follows highway 28 and
287 to Jeffrey City, then to the Gas
Hills. Both of these towns boomed
in the early 1960’s as a result of
uranium discoveries.
Other trails are expected to be
nominated in the next few years
highlighting areas associated with
copper, petroleum, coal, trona and
natural gas.