Drive up this very rough road to the top of the point. On the top
is a rail post marker honoring Jedediah Smith when he came this way
in 1827 after crossing the center of Nevada for over a month and
not knowing where he was until he came to this point. The plaque
reads:
JEDEDIAH SMITH TRAIL - TIMPIE POINT
"Coming to the point of the ridge ... I saw an expanse of water
Extending far to the North and East. The Salt Lake a joyful sight
was spread before us. ... I durst scarcely believe that it was
really the Big Salt Lake that I saw. It was indeed a most cheering
view ... Those who may chance to read this at a distance from the
scene may perhaps be surprised that the sight of this lake ...
excited in me these feelings known to the traveler who after long
and perilous journeying comes again in view of his home. ... I had
traveled so much in the vicinity of the Salt Lake that it had
become my home of the wilderness."
Jedediah Strong Smith, June 27, 1827
2002 Utah Westerners Foundation &
Utah Crossroads Chapter
OCTA
Standing on the point one has a view of a transportation corridor
that went around the point: Fremonts exploration trail of 1845; The
Hastings Trail, in 1846; The Western Pacific Railroad [now the
Union Pacific] came past here in 1909; The Lincoln Highway in 1913;
U.S 40 around 1940; and Interstate 80 about 1980.
Looking back to the east, you can see abandoned U.S. 40, then the
Lincoln Highway, and then the Hastings Trail faintly bending in a
curve in the sage brush heading for the north end of the point.
Walk to the west side of the point. Looking down below the point
you can see the Lincoln Highway, and closer to the point the
outlines of the Hasting Trail ruts. The trail goes around to the
Springs.
JAMES CLYMAN
wrote while he and HASTINGS were going eastward on May 27
& 28th 1846:
"1846 June the 1st. proceeded nearly east to the point of a high
mountain [Oquirrh Mountains] that Bounds the Southern part of the
greate salt lake I observed that this lake like all the rest of
this wide spread Sterility has nearly wasted away one half of its
surface since 1825 [1826] when I floated around it in my Bull Boate
and we crossed a large Bay of this Lake with our horses which is
now dry and continued up the South side of the Lake to the vally
near the outlet [Jordan River] of the Eutaw Lake and encamped at a
fine large spring of Brackish water 20 miles to [sic]
today"
Make
sure to find and log the nearby Benchmark
“TIMPIE”
at N 40° 44.579 W 112° 38.165
