Burnt Ranch/9th Crossing of the Sweetwater River

Burnt Ranch is a certified site on the Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express NHTs.

Photo/Courtesy Todd Guenther

Quick Facts

Location:

Located approximately 8 miles SE South Pass City, Wyoming.

Significance:

The confluence of trails and one of the key components in the growth of the American nation.

Designation:

Certified Site

OPEN TO PUBLIC:

No

MANAGED BY:

Jim Hellyer; Prior planning with an organized group is necessary. Contact the National Trails Office at [e-mail] for more information.

Burnt Ranch, known historically as South Pass Station and Last or Ninth Crossing of the Sweetwater River, is located at the center of the South Pass landscape of Wyoming on the shared corridor of the Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express National Historic Trails. The Lander Cutoff, a government wagon road explored and developed in 1857-1860 by topographical engineer Frederick W. Lander, diverged from the primary route of the California Trail at present-day Burnt Ranch, following older paths used by American Indians and trappers of the fur trade. Western historian Will Bagley estimates that more than 100,000 overland emigrants crossed this region by way of the Lander Cutoff. The graves of two known overland emigrants (Joseph Barnett, d. 1844, and Charles H. Miller, d. 1859) and as many as six unidentified burials of the trails era are located on the ranch. Many more emigrant graves are believed to exist at and around the site.

During the 1800s, this location was the site of extensive Shoshone Indian villages; trading post, stagecoach, mail, and telegraph operations; a military outpost; emigrant and military encampments; and armed conflicts between the US Army and the Sioux and Cheyenne. In fact, Burnt Ranch takes its name from the burning of a stage station at Ninth Crossing during the Utah War in 1857, and by Sioux warriors in 1866 and 1868. It has been the headquarters of cattle ranching operations since the 1880s and remains so today.

Trail remnants and historical remains of the developments and activities at Burnt Ranch have been determined to be nationally significant and eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Site Information

Location (Located approximately 8 miles SE South Pass City, Wyoming)
Available Facilities
No cell service.  Poor roads.  Prior Planning with an organized group is a must.

Safety Considerations

Oregon National Historic Trail

California National Historic Trail

Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail

Pony Express National Historic Trail