National Trails Office Regions 6, 7 & 8
Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87505
National Trails Office Regions 6, 7, & 8
Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone Number: N/A Voice
Email Address: ntir_information@nps.gov
Description:
In 1857, businessman and transportation entrepreneur John Butterfield was awarded a contract to establish an overland mail route between the eastern United States and growing populations in the Far West. What became known as the Butterfield Overland Trail made an arcing sweep across the southern rim of the country. Stagecoaches left twice a week carrying passengers, freight, and mail.
park designation:National Historic Trail
Those portions of the Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail authorized by Congress include nearly 3,300 miles of historic trail.
For detailed directions, please visit this link.
Directions
The Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail is not a clearly marked hiking trail. Instead, it is a corridor that passes through communities, urban areas, public lands, and Wilderness. The route travels across a variety of land ownerships and management, including private land. Each location varies as to the hours of operation and access. Please contact individual trail sites before your visit for more information.
Due to the length of the trail, be sure to consult local weather sources for the region you'll be visiting. Check out the forecast with the National Weather Service and search for the area you'd like to visit: weather.gov