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Golden Spike National Historical Park in Utah commemorates the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad.
Introduction to Golden Spike National Historical Park
On May 10, 1869, in the middle of the desert at Promontory Summit in Utah Territory, Leland Stanford (1824–1893) drove the Golden Spike to complete the First Transcontinental Railroad. Although the line was abandoned in 1904 and the original tracks have been removed, the National Park Service preserves the site to celebrate its significance in American history.
Golden Spike National Historic Site was established on April 2, 1957, under non-federal ownership. The site was originally just 7 acres, but expanded to 2,183 acres in 1965 — when it was authorized for federal ownership and administration on July 30. The park reached its present size of 2,735 acres in 1980, and was redesignated as a national historical park on March 12, 2019. One of the least visited parks in the country, it only receives between 50,000 and 60,000 visitors a year.
Visiting Golden Spike National Historical Park
Golden Spike National Historical Park is in a remote location, but it’s worth the trek. The nearest city is Corinne, 23 miles (37 kilometers) east, followed by Brigham City 32 miles (51.5 kilometers) away.
Entrance fees vary depending on your mode of transportation. Prices are current as of September 2025:
- For private vehicles, it’s $20.
- For motorcycles, it’s $15.
- For visitors entering on bicycle or on foot, it’s $10 for adults and free for kids under 16.
- Holders of any interagency pass are covered for one vehicle or four per-person fees.
Entrance fees are payable at the visitor center and good for seven days. The park is open daily throughout the year, even on days the visitor center is closed. Keep in mind there’s very limited cell coverage, and the nearest gas station is 27 miles away.
Visitor Center at Golden Spike National Historical Park
The visitor center, completed in 1969, contains a small museum about the construction of the railroad and the Golden Spike ceremony. There’s also a short film. From late April through late October, it’s open daily from 9am to 5pm. The rest of the year, it’s open Thursday through Monday. The visitor center is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Some of the important items in the museum include replicas of the Golden Spike — the original was donated to Stanford University in 1892 and is on display at the Cantor Arts Center. You’ll also see the sign that was posted after Central Pacific workers laid 10 miles and 56 feet of track in one day. That occurred on April 28, 1869.
The “Last Tie”
The area behind the visitor center features 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of track that has been rebuilt as an authentic representation of the 1869 rails — complete with a ceremonial “last tie” that joined the Union Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad tracks. The original rails were removed in 1942 to support the war effort.
Steam Locomotives at Golden Spike National Historical Park
If you visit the site during the summer, you’ll have the chance to see replicas of the two steam locomotives used during the original ceremony. Both were faithfully reproduced by O’Connor Engineering Laboratories of Costa Mesa, California, down to the finest detail and within ¼ inch of the dimensions of the originals. Work took four years and was completed by May 1979. The replicas differ from the originals in three ways:
- The original cylinder assemblies were cast in three separate pieces — two cylinders and a saddle bolted together — while the cylinders and saddles on the replicas are a single unit.
- The original boilers were made of wrought iron and riveted, while the replica boilers are much stronger using welded steel. They also feature nonfunctional rivets, recreating an authentic appearance.
- The original locomotives had simple hand brakes, while the replicas are equipped with Westinghouse air brakes, allowing them to operate more safely.
Locomotive runs take place at 1pm daily between early May and early October. During demonstrations, both locomotives move along the tracks, allowing visitors to experience the sights and sounds that occurred on May 10, 1869. When I visited, only Union Pacific No. 119 was running.
During winter, you can go behind the scenes on an engine house tour and learn what it takes to maintain these fully functional steam locomotives. Tours meet at the visitor center 10:30am, 1pm, and 3pm, Thursday through Monday (as of September 2025).
Union Pacific No. 119
Union Pacific No. 119 comes in from the east and faces west. It was built by Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works of Paterson, New Jersey, on November 19, 1868, and assigned to the railroad’s Utah Division, moving trains between its base in Ogden, Utah, and Rawlins, Wyoming. After the ceremony, it returned to service as a freight locomotive. No. 119 was renumbered to 343 in 1882 and scrapped in 1903.
Jupiter
The Jupiter comes in from the west and faces east. Officially known as Central Pacific Railroad #60, it was built in September 1868 by the Schenectady Locomotive Works of New York, along with the Storm, Whirlwind, and Leviathan. All four were dismantled, shipped to San Francisco, loaded onto a river barge, and delivered to Central Pacific headquarters in Sacramento. After reassembly, the Jupiter entered service on March 20, 1869, and was assigned to the railroad’s Salt Lake Division. It carried Central Pacific president Leland Stanford (1824–1893) to the ceremony, where he famously drove the Golden Spike.
The locomotive received upgrades in the 1870s and continued in passenger and general goods services until it was sold to the Gila Valley, Globe and Northern Railway (GVG&N) in 1894. Southern Pacific Railroad — the successor to Central Pacific — acquired the GVG&N in 1901 and scrapped the Jupiter in 1909.
Monuments at Golden Spike National Historical Park
You’ll find a handful of monuments just outside the visitor center.
Southern Pacific Monument
First, next to the front entrance, is an obelisk built by Southern Pacific in 1916. It originally stood next to the “Last Tie”, where it was damaged by weather and vandalism over the years. The National Park Service assumed ownership in 1965 and attempted restoration, but unintentionally contributed to further damage. They began a new repair process in 2001, using state-of-the-art technology, before placing it in its current location.
Centennial Plaque and Chinese Workers’ Memorial
Behind the visitor center, you’ll find a single monument with three plaques dedicated on the 100th anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony: a memorial to Chinese workers, a commemoration of the centennial reenactment, and a plaque from the American Society of Civil Engineers declaring the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. More than ⅔ of the 4,000 workers were Chinese.
Irish Workers’ Memorial
On May 10, 1998, the Hibernian Society of Utah dedicated a separate memorial honoring the Irish workers, who made up a significant portion of the workforce. Although both groups faced discrimination, Chinese workers received lower pay and weren’t provided food and board, unlike their Irish counterparts.
Outdoor Activities at Golden Spike National Historical Park
If you stop at the visitor center and see the locomotives only, you can visit Golden Spike National Historical Park in about an hour or two, but there are other outdoor activities worth checking out, including two auto tours and a short trail.
West Auto Tour
The West Auto Tour, which is open early June through late November, is a 14-mile loop allowing you to drive right on the original Central Pacific grade. You’ll pass the point where workers laid 10 miles and 56 feet of track in one day, on April 28, 1869.
East Auto Tour
The East Auto Tour is a 2-mile drive along the original Union Pacific grade. It passes through the Last Cut and Chinese Arch — a 20-foot (6.1 meter) natural arch — before descending the steepest mile of railroad grade in Utah. You’ll enjoy views of the Wasatch Mountains along the way.
Big Fill Loop Trail
The Big Fill Loop Trail is an easy 1 ½-mile (2.4 kilometer) trail that starts on the Central Pacific grade and returns on the Union Pacific grade. It crosses the Big Fill, where Central Pacific workers filled in a 500-foot-wide ravine. This saved the railroad from having to dig an 800-foot-long tunnel. You can also spot drill marks where workers blasted away at the rock.
Although we didn’t hike the trail, a pullout allowed us to view this small section of railroad that took the companies about three months to build. We could spot the Big Fill and the stone abutments that once supported Union Pacific’s Big Trestle, a flimsy wooden construction that spanned 400 feet and was 85 feet high. It stood about 150 feet east of the Big Fill.
