WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
THE HONEYMOON TRAIL
(aka Mormon Wagon Road)
ROUTE
The Honeymoon Trail had a number of points of origin, but one destination: the St. George Temple. For some, it started at the Mormon settlements in Arizona such as Snowflake and St. Johns. It crossed the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry, went through Pipe Springs, and followed the winter leg of the Temple Trail on down the Fort Pearce wash and into St. George. Utah residents, such as those living in Orderville or Glendale, picked it up as it passed south of Kanab.
HISTORY
Following dedication of the St. George Temple in 1877, groups of young couples, with chaperones in tow, would make the trek toSt. George by wagon or by buggy to exchange wedding vows in the Temple. Spring and Fall were the favored times; the weather was mild and they could be better spared from farm work. it was arduous, but for those who were young and in love, it was a great honeymoon.PHOTOS
Other WCHS photos:WCHS-00065 Photo of the Fort Pearce wash
WCHS-00066 Photo of the trail along the Fort Pearce Wash on the south side of Fort Pearce
WCHS-00068 Photo of river running through the Fort Pearce Wash just south of the fort
WCHS-00069 Photo of some petroglyphs a little west of Fort Pearce along "The Honeymoon Trail"
WCHS-00070 Photo of some petroglyphs a little west of Fort Pearce along "The Honeymoon Trail"
WCHS-00071 Photo of an overhang campsite along "The Honeymoon Trail"
WCHS-00072 Photo of a ??? (campfire or storage bin?) in the cliffs along "The Honeymoon Trail"
WCHS-00073 Photo of a walled up storage bin in the cliffs along "The Honeymoon Trail"
WCHS-00074 Photo of pioneer axle grease markings on the rocks along "The Honeymoon Trail"
WCHS-00075 Photo of pioneer axle grease markings on the rocks along "The Honeymoon Trail"
WCHS-00076 Photo of pioneer axle grease markings on a rock along "The Honeymoon Trail"
WCHS-00077 Photo of an overhang campsite along "The Honeymoon Trail"
REFERENCES
History of the "The Honeymoon Trail""The Honeymoon Trail"
by Will C. Barnes
Arizona Highways, December 1934
The Honeymoon Trail
by Lyman Hafen, St. George Magazine, Fall 1984, pp. 42-43
The Honeymoon Trail
by Kathleen L. McKoy
2000
"Arizona's Honeymoon Trail, Mormon Wagon Roads"
Book edited by Norma Baldwin Ricketts
Mesa, Ariz.: Maricopa East Company, International Society, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 2001
"The Honeymoon Trail"
Pages 56-58 in "Selected Topics Related To Hurricane, Utah"
Written and/or compiled by Victor Hall, 2003.
Mormon Honeymoon Trail
by Gary Ladd
Trek on the Honeymoon Trail, Arizona youth follow ancestors' footsteps to St. George temple
by Jessica Black, Church News Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, July 16, 2011
The Honeymoon Trail
by H. Dean Garrett
Traveling the Honeymoon Trail: An Act of Faith and Love
by H. Dean Garrett
Southern Utah Memories: Honeymoon Trail provided the way to the St. George Temple for young couples
by Loren R. Webb, May 17, 2013
Markers and Monuments Database: Pioneer Honeymoon, Temple Trails"
Utah Division of State History, Utah Department of Heritage & Arts