Point of Rocks Stage Station

FACT: Rich in folklore and historical tradition, the Point of Rocks Stage Station will round out a trail enthusiast’s visit to Sweetwater County.

Here, travelers stopped and ate their meals, stagecoach drivers changed horses, and telegraph messages could be sent to New York or California.

For a time, the infamous Jack Slade served as stationmaster. Known for his violent temper that resulted in the deaths of several men, he gained a reputation that even Mark Twain said made him nervous. Slade did not stay at Point of Rocks long. Traveling north, he would eventually meet his end at the hands of a lynch mob in the Montana gold fields.

Indians, traders, railroad men and Cavalry officers all passed through Point of Rocks. The Frontier Index, the only local paper in 1868, reported the presence of Indians at Point of Rocks in 1868.

A few years earlier, a pitched battle had taken place roughly 40 miles east of the stage station. One account held that this same group of Indians threatened, but never attacked, the inhabitants of the Point of Rocks Stage Station.

Rich in folklore and historical tradition, the Point of Rocks Stage Station will round out a trail enthusiast’s visit to Sweetwater County. The sandstone construction and building techniques used to erect this structure are similar to those used along the Overland Stage line.

Another Wyoming State Historic Site is located in Granger, Wyoming. The Granger Station, like the Point of Rocks station, was a respite for travelers and stage crew. The site contains one building constructed of cut native stone joined with lime-sand mortar. There has been some controversy and confusion over the date of the construction of this building. It is believed to have been constructed around 1861-62.

Getting There

A visit to both the Point of Rocks and the Carter’s Compound stage station at Fort Bridger is easily accomplished in one day’s travel without ever going more than seven miles round trip off I-80.