golden spike national historic site

OK so the two railroads met at a place a little off the beaten path. It is still worth the drive and being at the place that they met and celebrated with the golden spike. The visitor center has excellent historical descriptions and pictures of the railroad constructions, the laborers and, of course, the celebration held to commemorate the joining of the transcontinental rails. After the visitor center movie and displays, exit the rear doors and listen to the ranger describe the railroads, the laborers, explicit descriptions of the two replica engines on the tracks, and the story of the celebration. See the engines up close and then the demonstration as they backup and advance one engine on the tracks with steam puffing and whistles blowing. Interesting sight - historical reference to a major step in the growth of the country.

GOLDEN SPIKE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK (UTAH’S HIDDEN BYWAYS VI) A STEAM TRAIN IN NORTHERN UTAH? No, not “A steamship in Il Trovatore” (i.e. A Night at the Opera, Marx Brothers-1935), but one of the two operational steam locomotives lines left in Utah. The two steam lines that are still operational in Utah are at Heber City, east of Salt Lake City, and at Promontory Summit, north of Salt Lake City. I will be discussing The Golden Spike National Historical Site, which is located at Promontory Summit north of the Great Salt Lake. This site is the location where the two sections of the first transcontinental railroad joined, creating the first east/west rail link in the fledgling United States.On 10 MAY, 1869, the Central Pacific Railroad, building west, met the Union Pacific Railroad, building east. A commemoratory ceremony was held and the “GOLDEN SPIKE” was symbolically driven to mark this event. Getting to this historical site is not difficult. From Salt Lake City, proceed north on Interstate-15 to Exit 365. Continue WEST on UTAH SR83W to Promontory, then follow the signs SW to the Golden Spike National Historical Park. You will be passing the THIOKOL Solid Rocket facility on SR83 on your right on the way in (OFF LIMITS TO VISITORS). There is ample parking at the historical site, as well as a national park fee. Park the car and spend some time at the museum before venturing out to see the locomotives. There are also ample rest room facilities available for those in dire need. A gift shop and some food are also available. The locomotives are the jewels of the park. They are replicas of the original steam locomotives that participated in the original ceremony. The Central Pacific is represented by CP # 60 (i.e. Jupiter), which has the diamond shaped stack and is a static display. The Union Pacific locomotive is UP119, which is steamed up and mobile. The two locomotives are oriented so they face each other. During the Spring, Summer, and Autumn, there are re-enactors on hand to replay the event. UP119 back down the track, then moves forward toward CP60 with everything going (i.e. Steam whistle, bells, and extra steam/smoke). As it approaches CP60, it slows down and stops within a few feet of the cow catcher. The re-enactors now rush in a replay the original confluence of the lines, complete with costumes, fanfare, and speeches. All of this is a lot of fun to watch, and makes for great photographic opportunities. The locomotives are painted in festive colors, while the costumes are reminiscent of the post Civil War era. Members of the audience are also encouraged to join the festivities and are provided with the appropriate garb. You can also get close to the engines for examination and/or photographic purposes. This re-enactment occurs every hour or two during the warm months. Check with the National Park service rangers to find out the schedule. There are also hiking trails, covering old, graded, right-of-ways, and a limestone arch, Chinaman’s Arch, available to those who would like to further explore the area. Bring sensible walking shoes and water if you plan to ramble. I would allocate about two hours to enjoy the trains and museum, and more if you plan to do some hiking. Maps of the area are available at the Visitor’s/Ranger Station, along with good advice. Enjoy your visit and be safe. ALASKASEEKER

Takes about 45 minuites to get there from Brigham City.Plan on arriving promptly at 9 am to get in and see the movie and exhibits.The drive in both trains from a mile away.between 10am to 11 am, which are replicas of the original trains The ranger which does the program , Dave, does a great job explaining the history.Mosquitos galore - bring the spray.

I really enjoyed the visit to Promontory Summit and the exhibit of the first Transcontinental Railroad. The National Park Service has done a great job to display this piece of railroad history. Interesting displays and a film to watch. The locomotives are replicas but they put on a great show. Staff very helpful indeed. I used my National Parks annual pass so no entry fee.

I wasn’t expecting much from here but I had fun anyhow. It stuck the little kid in me, trains!!Because I came towards the end of the day, I got to see the park put demo how both trains move and sound. There are two beautiful trains. The paint jobs are amazing. Sure we don’t see the original ORIGINAL golden spike (in some Stanford museum), but we see where it was staked.

Just a short drive from Brigham City this proved to be quite an interesting stop. Two full sized and operational replicas of the steam engines that met to connect the transcontinental railway. A great film and lots of interesting artifacts make this a worthwhile side trip.

This is such an important site in the history of the United States that it is worth the 86 mile drive from Salt Lake City to the north side of The Great Salt Lake and Promontory Summit. If you are using a GPS be careful with programming - best results will usually occur if you enter "Golden Spike National Historic Site" and watch for signs as you get close. Other entries including "Promontory" "Promontory Point" "Corinne Utah" may not take you to the site itself. Stop by the visitor center for maps and program information. The main presentation of the replica steam locomotives Jupiter from the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific usually occurs around 10am along with a brief ranger led program. This site is on the original roadbed where the rails were joined on May 10, 1869. A museum, movie presentation and gift shop is available at the Visitor's Center as are restrooms. It appeared to be wheelchair accessible, but check with the site first to be sure. They also offer a reenactment of the Golden Spike Ceremony but that schedule varies. There are 2 auto tour roads: a West Grade Auto Tour which follows the Central Pacific Grade and the East Grade Auto tour which follows the Union Pacific Grade. The West Grade road was pretty rough and actually partially closed off due to flooding when I was there in August 2014. I would recommend the East Grade Tour - it is a dirt road but reasonably well maintained and heads back towards Salt Lake City. It is about 3 miles long and passes the Last Cut area and The Chinese Arch, two short hiking trails which children can easily manage. The views out onto The Great Salt Lake flood plain are magnificent. There was a $10.00 per car fee for entry, however if a visitor is 62, a citizen or a permanent resident of the USA that visitor can obtain a "Golden Age Passport" for $10.00 which is a LIFETIME Admission permit to almost all Federal recreation areas for no additional entry fees for that visitor and all guests within the private vehicle. I visit a lot of National Parks, Historic Sites, etc. and just show my pass for entry. From Salt Lake City, plan on about half a day: 2 to 3 hours at the site depending on what you do and about 3 hours RT drive time. Info: Golden Spike NHS, PO Box 897, Brigham City, Utah 84302; 435-471-2209; www.nps.gov/gosp

We went to this on Friday August 15th, and all of us (three adults and a senior citizen) were impressed by it. It sounds as if it's just a little marker with a dusty museum but it has the two working steam engines, a little museum, a film and an extensive gift shop. Don't forget to buy a chocolate spike in gold foil! The men running the trains were friendly and quite knowledgeable and those little platforms you can climb to get a closer look were a great idea. It's a little out of the way but well worth the detour if you are any sort of history or railroad buff.

My husband and I drove the 30 minutes from Brigham City to see the historic Golden Spike Monument...We happened to go on the day of the Train Festival....No admission charge that day and a reenactment of the famous day in history when the railroads met....A fun little historical site!

We took preteens with us to see the engines at Golden Spike NHS. The rangers are very friendly and helpful and the engines are set up with viewing platforms to see inside. They run the trains a few times most days so call ahead for times. We missed seeing the engines in motion. They also have special events on some weekends so check that out before you go. Everyone of every age enjoyed this visit.

Ever since I was a child I wanted to see whee the golden spike completed the transcontinental railroad. Well, I saw it. The site was very interesting, and the ranger and staff were very hospitable and enthusiastic. Two operating replicas of the first two steam engines on the site were wonderful. Thee was a great demonstration of the engines. Only open May through October. We'll worth the slight detour.

We visited Golden Spike on our way North from San Diego to Glacier National Park. Our GPS took us directly to the entrance to the Park. This is a fairly small National Historic Site and we were able to see it in 2 hours. The site consists of a small museum, a very cool display of where the Golden Spike was laid and a driving tour of the surrounding tracks. If you are expecting to see a large rail yard with lots of trains, you'll be disappointed. The museum is very interesting. We drove the east and west auto tours. They are on gravel roads and the signage is a little confusing, but they are worth the drive. The visitor center has a map with directions but as you drive there are several turns you think you should take but don't, as they are for driving back from the starting of the east tour. You are driving on the actual rail beds that were made over 100 years ago. As you slowly drive these beds you come to realize the amazing feat of making them. This is a true piece of American History not to miss. There is plenty of parking. You will not be able to drive the auto tours in an RV. While visiting the site, be sure to see the rockets which were built just down the road. We started our day in Provo, Ut, Visited Timpanogos Cave and Golden Spike and drove to Blackfoot, Id.

Built at the site where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads first met, Golden Spike NHS is a treat for anyone interested in history or railroads. The visitors center, with its exhibits, interpretative markers, orientation video, rangers and guides and bookstore, is well off the beaten path but worth the drive. Two driving tours of related historical sites wind through the nearby countryside. The site also includes a 1.5 mile hiking trail. Costumed interpreters are available on summer weekends and special events, such as the Railroader's Festival in August and Utah Pioneer Day on July 24. The visitors center is open year-round. Bring lunch or snacks if you plan to stay a while.

As stated in other reviews, Golden Spike is an excellent destination for History Buffs. A 20-minute video, book store, and static displays can keep you occupied for hours. But the highlight is the pair of meticulously authentic steam engines that are fully operational. Normally, both engines chug up to each other at the golden spike location on a regular schedule (check it before coming), but the Jupiter was not operating during our visit in July 2014. Still, you can walk up and touch authentic hardware from the 1869 site. If you really want to experience the site, walk along the old railroad beds along the access road.Snacks, restrooms, and a picnic area are available. The air conditioned gift shop is a nice break from the desert-like surroundings. There is a $7 fee per vehicle.

Luckily for us we arrived on the annual railroad festival. Both of the trains were out and plenty of fun activities were planned for the day. Definitely a fun day to aim for if you are going to visit.