Pony Express Re-Ride to pass through community this weekend

Eagle Mountain residents will have the chance to witness a unique piece of living history this weekend as the National Pony Express Association’s annual re-ride makes its way through Cedar Valley.

The re-ride, which commemorates the Pony Express mail service, will pass through Camp Floyd State Park on Sunday, June 15, with riders expected to arrive between 4 and 4:30 p.m.

Visitors are invited to gather at the park between 3 and 5 p.m. to welcome the rider and enjoy a glimpse into one of America’s most storied mail routes. Food will be available for purchase at the Camp Floyd Bistro, and park staff will be on hand to share insights into the trail’s history and its connection to the area.

“We’re a host location because a Pony Express station was located here at Camp Floyd,” said Clay Shelley, State Park Manager for Camp Floyd State Park. “They do an exchange in front of the Inn, just like they would have done in 1860. We’ve been involved in the re-ride since it started, and we always have someone here to greet visitors and talk about the history.”

The original Pony Express operated for only 18 months between April 1860 and October 1861 but its legacy looms large in American lore.

Riders delivered the mail on horseback across 1,966 miles from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California, changing horses roughly every 10 miles and pushing through all hours of the day and night.

Today’s re-ride honors that legacy with more than 750 volunteers from eight states who take turns riding in full gear and carrying commemorative mail inside a traditional leather mochila. Riders travel at speeds of 8 to 10 miles per hour, exchanging horses at designated relay stations, just as their 19th-century counterparts once did.

“Most people don’t realize how much history passed through this area: military supply routes, stagecoach lines and of course the Pony Express,” Shelley said.

Camp Floyd itself played a significant role in that history. Established in 1858, it was the largest military installation in the United States at the time and served as a logistical site for western expansion.

Soldiers stationed at Camp Floyd helped construct portions of the original Pony Express Trail, including the route from Fort Bridger, Wyoming to Sacramento mapped by Captain James H. Simpson, the namesake of Simpson Springs.

The trail eventually became a vital supply line not only for the military but also for stagecoach companies and pioneers heading west.

“This trail saved time from the Hastings Cutoff and became the main artery for travel to California,” Shelley said. “Soldiers from Camp Floyd patrolled the Pony Express Trail all the way to Carson Valley, Nevada.”

For those interested in more than just the Sunday event, Camp Floyd will also host its “Cowboy Way of Life” weekend starting Saturday, featuring cowboy poetry, wagon rides, and living history demonstrations that bring the West to life.

Shelley hopes the re-ride sparks curiosity and a deeper appreciation for the area’s past.

“This is history that’s often forgotten,” he said. “Some parts of the original trail have been destroyed, and there’s little physical evidence left. But events like this help us share that story. As your state park, it’s our job to help people understand what came before them.”

To track the rider’s progress or get estimated arrival times, visit www.nationalponyexpress.org.