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The Honeymoon Trail is a pioneer trail established in the late 19th century, extending over 400 miles from northern Arizona to St. George, Utah. The trail was the primary route between Mormon settlements in northeastern Arizona and southern Utah. The name Honeymoon Trail was coined by Arizona newspaper reporter Will C. Barnes, as many newlyweds would travel to St. George to have their marriage vows solemnized in the St. George Temple. The trail is still visible in some places and can be traversed with automobiles or 4-wheel drive vehicles, though much of it is passable only by horse or hiking.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Length | Over 400 miles |
| Location | Northeastern Arizona to St. George, Utah |
| Terrain | Varied and rugged, including deep washes, slick rock, sandy soil, muddy streams, steep canyons, barren plateaus, and rivers |
| Mode of Travel | Wagon, train, automobile, horse, or hiking |
| Time | Mid-November to early spring |
| Purpose | For Mormon newlyweds to travel to St. George, Utah, to have their marriage vows solemnized in the St. George Temple |
| History | Established in the late 19th century, used until modern highways were constructed in the 20th century, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 |
| Notable Stops | Lee's Ferry, Kanab, Pipe Springs, Warner Valley, Fort Pearce, and Washington County |
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What You'll Learn
- The Honeymoon Trail is a pioneer trail from the late 19th century
- It was a route for Mormon colonists from Arizona to St. George, Utah
- The trail was over 400 miles long and took weeks to complete
- Newlyweds travelled to St. George to have their marriage vows solemnized
- The trail is still visible in some places and can be traversed with automobiles
The Honeymoon Trail is a pioneer trail from the late 19th century
The trip typically began in mid-November and required weeks of hard travel across rugged terrain. The wagons would jolt across dry washes and slick rock, get stuck in deep sand, and become mired in muddy stream crossings. One of the chief obstacles was crossing the Colorado River, with the two major crossing points being Lee's Ferry and Pearce's Ferry. At Lee's Ferry, John D. Lee and his wife, Emma, provided a regular ferry service for travellers, as it was one of the few feasible crossings of the Grand Canyon. The journey would then take them to Kanab, Utah, and then south to Pipe Springs, Arizona, a major stop on the Honeymoon Trail and now a National Monument. From Pipe Springs, the trail headed north into Washington County, following Fort Pearce Wash and continuing north through the Warner Valley into St. George. The spring at the historic Fort Pearce site was a popular overnight camping spot for travellers.
The Honeymoon Trail continued in use well into the 20th century, when modern highways were finally constructed across northeastern Arizona. After the Atlantic Pacific Railroad was completed in 1885, a few couples even began to travel by train, and later by automobile. The journey was no longer necessary after the dedication of the Mesa, Arizona Temple in 1927. Today, much of the trail is still visible, with some sections traversable by automobile, but most passable only with four-wheel-drive vehicles, horses, or hiking.
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It was a route for Mormon colonists from Arizona to St. George, Utah
The Honeymoon Trail was a route for Mormon colonists from Arizona to St. George, Utah, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This primitive wagon road was the principal travel route between the Mormon settlements in northeastern Arizona and southern Utah.
In the late 1870s, church leaders sent Mormon colonists to pioneer new settlements along Arizona's Little Colorado River. These new settlements were remote and isolated, so goods and services could only be obtained from the established Mormon communities in southern Utah. After 1877, the Arizona Mormon settlers also travelled to St. George, Utah, to conduct church business and have their marriage vows solemnized in the newly completed St. George Temple.
The journey typically began in mid-November and required many weeks of hard travel. The wagons navigated deep dry washes, slick rock, sandy soils, and muddy stream crossings. At Lee's Ferry, John D. Lee and his wife, Emma, provided a regular ferry service for travellers, as it was one of the few feasible crossings of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. From there, the trail continued to Kanab, Utah, then south to Pipe Springs, Arizona, before heading north into Washington County.
The Honeymoon Trail followed Fort Pearce Wash and headed north through the Warner Valley into St. George. The spring at the historic Fort Pearce site was a popular overnight camping spot for travellers, and some even inscribed their names and visit dates on the rocky cliff faces. After their marriage ceremonies, the newlyweds would often spend the winter months in St. George, enjoying the social activities and purchasing needed supplies before beginning the long trip home in early spring.
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The trail was over 400 miles long and took weeks to complete
The Honeymoon Trail, also known as the Mormon Wagon Road, was a loosely defined network of wagon roads that stretched over 400 miles from Mormon settlements in northeastern Arizona to St. George, Utah. The trail got its name from the many newlywed couples who embarked on the arduous journey to have their marriage vows solemnized in the St. George Temple, the only temple available at the time. The trek typically began in mid-November and required weeks of challenging travel.
The trail presented a host of obstacles and hardships. Newlyweds travelled in small groups for safety and companionship as they navigated the rugged terrain of northeastern Arizona and southwestern Utah. Their wagons jolted across deep dry washes, slick rock, and sandy soils, and struggled through muddy stream crossings. One of the most significant challenges was crossing the Colorado River, with Lee's Ferry and Pearce's Ferry serving as the two major crossing points.
The journey along the Honeymoon Trail often included an overnight camping spot at the historic Fort Pearce site in Washington County. Here, travellers would inscribe their names and dates of their visits on the rocky cliff faces at the spring. After their marriage ceremonies in St. George, the couples would spend the winter months enjoying the social activities and purchasing needed supplies before beginning their long journey home in early spring.
The Honeymoon Trail remained in use well into the 20th century until modern highways were constructed across northeastern Arizona. Over time, the mode of travel shifted from wagons to automobiles, and eventually, with the completion of the Mesa, Arizona Temple in 1927, the journey to St. George became unnecessary. Today, remnants of the old trail can still be seen in a few places, preserving the legacy of the Mormon pioneers who braved the harsh wilderness of Arizona and Utah.
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Newlyweds travelled to St. George to have their marriage vows solemnized
The Honeymoon Trail was the name given to the Mormon Wagon Road, a loosely defined system of wagon roads that led from Mormon settlements in northeastern Arizona to St. George, Utah. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this primitive wagon road was the principal travel route for Mormons in Arizona to reach the Mormon communities in southern Utah.
After 1877, Mormon settlers in Arizona would travel to St. George to conduct church business and have their marriage vows solemnized in the newly completed St. George Temple. Newlyweds would often travel in small groups for safety and companionship, making the long-distance trek across varied and rugged terrain. The journey typically began in mid-November and required many weeks of hard travel to complete. The wagons jolted across deep dry washes and slick rock, bogged down in deep sandy soils, and became mired in muddy stream crossings.
The journey would take them to Lee's Ferry, where John D. Lee and his wife Emma provided a regular ferry service at one of the few feasible crossings of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. From there, they would travel to Kanab, Utah, then south to Pipe Springs, Arizona, and finally north into Washington County. Here, the Honeymoon Trail followed Fort Pearce Wash and headed north through the Warner Valley into St. George.
After their marriage ceremonies, the newlyweds would often spend the winter months in St. George, enjoying the social activities of the established community and purchasing needed supplies before beginning the long trip home in early spring.
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The trail is still visible in some places and can be traversed with automobiles
The Honeymoon Trail is a historic route that was used by Mormon settlers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to travel between northeastern Arizona and southern Utah. The trail, also known as the Mormon Wagon Road, is over 400 miles long and extends from northern Arizona to St. George, Utah. It was the principal travel route for Mormon settlements in Arizona and Utah and got its name from the many newlywed couples who travelled along it to have their marriage vows solemnized in the St. George Temple.
Today, some sections of the Honeymoon Trail are located on private or Native American lands, and it is important to respect these areas and obtain any necessary permissions before attempting to traverse the trail. The trail is sporadically marked on public lands from the Lee's Ferry area to just east of St. George, Utah. The southern part of the trail passes through the Navajo Indian Reservation, and the northern part begins at Lees Ferry on the Colorado River.
In addition to Lee's Ferry, other notable stops along the Honeymoon Trail included Pipe Springs, Arizona, and Kanab, Utah. Pipe Springs, now a National Monument, features a small fort built in the early 1870s and was a major stop for travellers. The journey then continued to Kanab, Utah, and followed Fort Pearce Wash, heading north through the Warner Valley into St. George. The spring at Fort Pearce was a popular overnight camping spot, and some travellers even inscribed their names and dates of their visits on the rocky cliff faces.
After the completion of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad in 1885, some couples began to travel by train, and later by automobile. The dedication of the Mesa, Arizona Temple in 1927 made the journey by automobile even more common. Today, the Honeymoon Trail remains a testament to the faith and sacrifice of the early Mormon settlers who braved the wilderness of Arizona and New Mexico.
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Frequently asked questions
The Honeymoon Trail is a pioneer trail established in the late 19th century.
The trail is over 400 miles long.
The trail extends from northern Arizona to St. George, Utah.
The trail got its name because many newlyweds travelled to St. George to have their marriage vows solemnized in the St. George Temple.
Much of the trail is still visible, and some of it can be traversed with automobiles, but most of it is passable only with four-wheel-drive vehicles, horses, or hiking.
