Pony Express - Clarification Please

[utahluge]

Not sure exactly where this belongs.

I noticed there is no trail rating for the Pony Express Trail.

Is there clearance issues?
Tight turns?
Roughly how many miles?

I am intrigued by this trail for the route it takes and pictures I have seen. I would run it in a 99 Dodge Ram 1500. I am about to put a 3" lift on it and it currently has 285/75r16 (32") tires (larger than stock). Would I be ok in a full-size rig?

Maybe we could get a little more info here and then update the trail info page based off responses?

Thanks!!

 

[DOSS]

Exact mileage.. I think 225 From Vernon to Wendover (give or take a few for not paying that close of attention)

Rating.. Umm it is basically a graded dirt road.. there are parts that Semis drive down
Clearance issues.. Some of the passes before simpson springs starting from vernon may have some Ruts in them and everywhere sucks when it has been rained on a lot

In short you will be fine in a full size rig.. I have seen people in Metros cruising down parts of it

 

[Grim]

make sure spare tire is good to go , and youll be fine

 

[Brad J]

I have always been curious about the trail also from the pics, history and stories. I had the chance to go to Callao (by the Nevada Border) for work a couple weeks ago. I drove out on 80 to Wendover then south about 20 miles and East at the Ibapah sign, Through Gold Hill then onto the Pony Express trail till I got to Callao. I drive an 06 3/4 ton Chevy Duramax Van loaded w/ a ton of weight in it. I went a few days after the bad rain we got & the road was fine. I decided to drive back the whole way on the Pony Express Trail to Faust (near Tooele). The road was gravel the whole way & I had no problems. I got up to 60 MPH in some parts & down to 15 MPH in the really bad washboard spots but usually went around 45 MPH. I made better time coming back this way but my van was a mess inside after from papers & boxes going all over the place. There are lots of stops along the way. I stopped at Simpson Springs & regret driving down to the actual springs but I was in a hurry to get back. I would take my wife's car out there w/o a worry if there isn't a storm on the way. I would just take it a lot slower than a company vehicle though

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Its no chore at all making a weekend of the Pony Express Trail, in fact if you include exploring some of the spurs a short distance off the PET, you could spend a week out there and not retrace much ground. Its by no means a technical trail, in fact 95% of the time is a 2WD road passable by cars. Add snow or heavy rain and it can really become a mess. The real lure of a trail like the PET is the immence history that still lives out there. From ranching, pioneers, movie sets, military, ghost towns, wild horses, Native Americans and my favorite the mining. Wish I had more time to spend out there this last year, only got out there a handful of times.

 

[ttora4runner]

Yep, the road is pretty much easy. I was playing cat and mouse with a Ponatic Vibe when I was out there a few weeks ago. If you just drive the main route and don't do the side trails you can do it on a saturday (like cruiseroutfit mentioned). Use make sure you have plenty of fuel.