A GOlden Opportunity
in Utah
Golden Spike National Historic Site:
The Railroader’s Festival on the second
Saturday in August is a jump back in time
to 1869, when the final spike was driven
in the tracks that joined the Central Pacific
Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad,
creating the country’s first Transcontinental
Railroad. On that momentous day, a steam
locomotive from each line—Union Pacific’s
No. 119
and Central Pacific’s
Jupiter
—
met
head-to-head on the tracks. Working repli-
cas of each engine are in operation at Utah’s
Golden Spike National Historic Site (
nps.
gov/gosp
)
from May through October, and
you can tour the cabs during the festival. Other activities include reenactments of the
Last Spike ceremony, handcar rides, buffalo chip throwing and other games. Explore
the old railroad grade on your own along gravel rail-trails that run through the park.
Length & surface:
12
miles; gravel
u
End points:
Golden Spike National Historic Site (located 32
miles west of Brigham City)
u
Website
:
traillink.com/trail/golden-spike-national-historic-site.aspx
A Rail-Y Good Time inWest Virginia
White Oak Rail Trail:
It might be a small city, but Oak Hill
knows how to celebrate in a big way. The southern West Virginia
town’s 10-day Oak Leaf Festival
(
facebook.com/oakleaffestival
),
running from late August through Labor Day, is a highlight of
the region. Events include a talent show, teen pageant, parade,
live music, chili cook-off and more. For railroad lovers, the first
weekend of the festival (Aug. 23–24) is designated Oak Leaf
Depot Days, when revelers can explore the 1903 White Oak
Depot, whiz down the tracks on a handcar and see model-train
displays at the Lewis Community Center across the street.
Running alongside the depot is the White Oak Rail Trail,
which stretches 7.5 miles through town, connecting the com-
munities of Summerlee and Carlisle.
Length & surface:
7.5
miles, including 5.5 miles paved with asphalt
and 2 miles with packed gravel surface
u
End points:
Route 612 to
Sum
merlee Road
u
Website:
traillink.com/trail/white-oak-rail-tra
il-
(
oak-
hill-trail).aspx
Do you have a perfect rail-trail “postcard” for
Greetings From…
?
Send a photo and event
information, along with how we can contact you,
to:
magazine@railstotrails.org
or Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy, Magazine/Greetings From, 2121 Ward
Court, NW, 5th Floor,Washington, DC 20037.
Utah
West
Virginia
Steve Keenan/The Fayette Tribune
Photo courtesy Golden Spike National Historic Site
7
rails
to
trails
u
spring/summer.14