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Nevada Pony Express Stations

About 80% of the Pony Express Trail in what is now Nevada is on national resource lands—available to the public. These Pony Express miles were unforgiving and difficult for riders and station keepers, alike.
Nevada has 47 pony express stations over 417 miles of Pony Express Trail.

Nevada Station List

Eight Mile House / Prairie Gate / Pleasant Valley
Antelope Springs
Rock Spring (summer)
Spring Valley / Stone House (winter)
(H) Shell Creek / Schell Creek / Fort Schellbourne
Egan Canon / Egan Canyon / Egan / Egan’s
Bates’ / Butte / Butte Creek / Robber’s Roost
Mountain Springs
Ruby Valley (the actual station is now located in the Elko Museum)
Jacob’s Wells / Jacob’s Well
Diamond Springs
Sulphur Springs
(H) Robert’s Creek
Camp Station / Grubb’s Well (used from about June 1861 to the Pony’s end)
(H) Dry Creek
Cape Horn
Simpson’s Park / Simpson Park
Reese / Reese River / Jacobsville / Jacob’s Spring
Dry Wells / Mount Airy (this station was used during the later months only)
(H) Smith’s Creek
Castle Rock (this station’s existence is questioned)
Edward’s Creek
(H) Cold Springs / Telegraph / East Gate / Eastgate
Middle Gate / Middlegate / Middle Creek (During the last 7 months of the Pony, the route followed a more direct, “northern” route from Middlegate to Miller’s stations 34-41; the earlier-used, “southern” route included stations 25-33.)
West Gate / Westgate
Sand Springs / Mountain Well
Sand Hill
Carson Sink / Sink of Carson
Honey Lake / William’s / Smith’s
Desert / Hooten Wells
(H) Buckland’s (used at first, until Indian Wars started)
(H) Fort Churchill (used after Indian Wars started)
Clugage’s (mention of this station was only found on the government contract)
Fairview
Mountain Wells / Mountain Well
Stillwater / Salt Well
Old River
Bisby’s / Busby’s
Nevada
Ragtown
Desert Wells / Desert Well
Miller’s / Reed’s
Nevada / Nevada City / Dayton / Chinatown / Spafford’s Hall
(H) Carson City / Carson
Genoa / Old Mormon
Van Sickle’s
(H) Friday’s / Lakeside

Legend

(H) = Home Station (some of these changed over time, as needed)
Bold = Station Name on the original U.S. Senate Executive Document, 46^th Congress, 3^rd Session, I, No. 21 p.7-8 “Contract with Overland Mail Co” “Route 10773”
Italics = Station Name listed on the 2010 Map prepared by the National Pony Express Association and produced and printed by the National Parks Service to celebrate the Pony Express Sesquicentennial.

Visit the Stations

Showing results 1-3 of 3

Pony Express National Historic Trail
Sand Springs Station
- Locations: Pony Express National Historic Trail
Sand Springs Station was a Pony Express relay station, a place where riders could exchange their tired horses for fresh ones. As they only housed 1-2 employees, relay stations were much smaller that home stations, which housed 5-6 employees and the riders. But, something is amiss with Sand Springs Station. Its ruins reveal a building nearly as large as Cold Springs Station, a known home station!
Fort Churchill State Historic Park
- Locations: California National Historic Trail, Pony Express National Historic Trail
Pony Express National Historic Trail
Cold Springs Pony Express Station
- Locations: Pony Express National Historic Trail
Cold Springs Station was a home station for the Pony Express. Home stations were larger buildings that housed riders and provided fresh horses. Station keepers and several stock tenders were assigned to home stations. They led an isolated and dangerous life. The intact, standing ruins of Cold Springs Station provides a glimpse into their lives and the Pony Express riders that depended on them.