Utah Genealogical Association Pioneer Trails Tour

The Mormon Trails Chapter of the Utah Genealogical Association is hosting two bus tours on June 16 along the original pioneer trail coming into the Salt Lake Valley. The tours will run concurrently beginning at 7:30am from the Henefer Park and will end at Henefer Park at noon, where lunch will be served.

Tour One is through the Echo Canyon trail traveled by 80,000 Mormons immigrants on their way to the Salt Lake Valley. Learn the stories of the pioneers and explore where they camped and where many of them carved their names on the wall of Cache Cave. Other sites on the tour include: Castle Rock, Hanging Rock, Billboard Bluff, the Mormon Fortifications, Mormon Vanguard Camp (July 16, 1847) and Weber Station. You’ll also see Echo City, Historic Echo Church & Museum, Needles and Witches rock formations, Supplement Hills, Monument Rock, Pony Express Monuments, and Lincoln Highway.

This exciting tour will be given by John Eldredge, author of "The Illustrated Emigrants’ Guide". My family and I took this tour last year and found Eldredge’s historical knowledge remarkable and his ability to tell about the artifacts among the ledges and emigrant trail amazing.  I learned all sorts of things about the pioneer's trek into the valley.

Then, new this year is the Tour Two: the East Canyon trail Tour. On this section of the trail you can see rocks that still have rut marks made by the slipping of wagon wheels more than 160 years ago. This was the hardest terrain the pioneers crossed and it is filled with some of the saddest stories. Some of the sites you will see are: East Mountain, Pratt’s Pass Camp, Spring Creek Station, Wagon Ruts, Dixie Pony Express Station, Martin’s Cove of Utah, Broad Hollow Trail Marker, Canyon Creek Crossing, Bauchmann's Pony Express Station, the Carson House and the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Cabin and Museum. Your guide for this exciting tour will be Linda Smith, Morgan County Historian. This tour ends at the DUP Cabin and Museum.

Date: Saturday, June 16th, 2012
Place to Meet: John's Park in Henefer
Time: 7:30 am
COST: $25 for UGA Members for complete tour and lunch
$30 for non UGA Members for complete tour and lunch
$20 for UGA Members or $25 for non UGA members for tour without lunch
To register for the tour, go to www.ugagenealogy.com.  Deadline for enrollment is May 22, 2012.
Lunch: French Dip Sandwiches, salads, chips, brownies and ice cream.

Read more from Janet Hovorka at http://thechartchick.blogspot.com.