Missouri is a listed state on the Oregon, California, Santa Fe, Pony Express and Trail of Tears national historic trails, with the Pony Express National Museum in St. Joseph and Trail of Tears State Park in Jackson as visitor stops.
Each row below was read on the page named in its last column on October 30, 2026. Prices, hours and rules change, so confirm with the operator before you go. Items we could not read are listed under What We Could Not Verify.
Background
- Santa Fe NHT crosses five states: CO, KS, MO, NM, OK. (nps.gov)
- Pony Express NHT crosses eight states including Missouri; page notes stables in St. Joseph. (nps.gov)
- California NHT has over 1,000 miles of ruts and traces open to visitors. (nps.gov)
- Trail of Tears NHT crosses nine states including Missouri. (nps.gov)
- Trail of Tears State Park visitor center exhibits cover the thousands who died on the march. (mostateparks.com)
- Oregon NHT page is inconsistent on state count (six vs. seven listed). (nps.gov)
Where to Go
| Place | Town | What It Is | Hours or Price as Printed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pony Express National Museum | St. Joseph | Museum in the original stables at the service's eastern terminus. | Mon-Sat 9-5, Sun 11-4; winter Dec 1-Mar 1 Mon-Sat 9-4; adults $10, seniors $9, students $5, kids 4-6 $3 | ponyexpress.org |
| Trail of Tears State Park | Jackson | Park and visitor center on where nine of 13 Cherokee detachments crossed the Mississippi in 1838-39. | Hours via Park Hours page; not stated | mostateparks.com |
| Pony Express National Historic Trail | Missouri to California | NPS trail; relays carried mail Missouri to California in about 10 days. | not stated | nps.gov |
| Santa Fe National Historic Trail | western Missouri to New Mexico | Freight route linking western Missouri and Santa Fe. | not stated | nps.gov |
| Oregon National Historic Trail | Missouri among states | Emigrant route with ruts and traces. | not stated | nps.gov |
| California National Historic Trail | Missouri among states | Route of 1840s-50s gold-field emigrants. | not stated | nps.gov |
| Trail of Tears National Historic Trail | Missouri among states | Commemorates the 1838-39 forced Cherokee removal. | not stated | nps.gov |
What We Could Not Verify
- National Frontier Trails Museum (Independence) pages: city URL redirected, new URL and NPS URL 404; no hours/price
- Trail of Tears NHT mileage not stated
- Pony Express mileage/dates not stated
- Oregon and Santa Fe Missouri start points not confirmed
More Missouri Guides
Questions People Ask
Pony Express museum address?
914 Penn Street, St. Joseph; (800) 530-5930 or (816) 279-5059.
Trail of Tears State Park address?
429 Moccasin Springs, Jackson; visitor center 573-290-5268.
Where does the Santa Fe trail start?
Page says its eastern end is in western Missouri.
Sources
Checked October 30, 2026 by It’s Missouri. Cite this page: It’s Missouri (https://itsmissouri.com/things-to-do/westward-trails/), checked October 30, 2026. Free to quote with a link.