The Transcontinental Railroad Back Country Byway takes you on a 90-mile journey parallel to the old rail beds of the 1869 Transcontinental Railroad. This railroad was formed after an epic race, when the tracks laid by the Central Pacific Railroad connected with those laid by the Union Pacific Railroad at Promontory Summit north of the massive Great Salt Lake in Utah.
The route winds through the remains of old railroad camps, towns, and trestles. Stop and read the interpretive signs at all the points of interest, and be sure to visit the visitor center and museum at Golden Spike National Historic Site.
The landscape, though sparse and remote, is surprisingly beautiful. Rather than trees, you'll be surrounded by salt flats. Lake Bonneville, which once covered northern Utah, left land forms that roll with the road. The land remains mostly unchanged. As you drive, it is easy to picture the railroad as it was over a hundred years ago.
