Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail
California, Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arizona
Tonight
🌗 46% moon
7.4 h fully dark
Open today
Open
Entrance
Free entry
In 1857, businessman and transportation entrepreneur John Butterfield was awarded a contract to establish an overland mail route between the eastern United States and growing populations in the Far West. What became known as the Butterfield Overland Trail made an arcing sweep across the southern rim of the country. Stagecoaches left twice a week carrying passengers, freight, and mail.
No entrance fee.
Hours & seasons
The Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail is not a clearly marked hiking trail. Instead, it is a corridor that passes through communities, urban areas, public lands, and Wilderness. The route travels across a variety of land ownerships and management, including private land. Each location varies as to the hours of operation and access. Please contact individual trail sites before your visit for more information.
Generally open:
winterspringsummerfallHours are reported by the park — verify before you go.
Conditions
Weather now: ☀️ Clear, 99°F
🌦️ 101°/74°
🌦️ 101°/73°
☁️ 98°/69°
Log a sky reading
Measured the sky with an SQM meter or app? Add your reading (16 = city glow … 22 = pristine). Opt in under “Travelers like you” to share it on the community leaderboard.
Visitor centers
National Trails Office Regions 6, 7, & 8
Accessibility
5 audio-described place(s)
Reported by the park — verify before you go.
Not an official safety source — always defer to NPS.gov and rangers for life-safety decisions.
By the numbers
A visual read on Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail — its character, trails, sky, and weather.
Park fingerprint
How this park scores across the dimensions travelers care about.
3-day forecast
Daily high and low temperatures (°F).
Places to see
Cadron Settlement Park
audio
Cross Hollow
audio
Fitzgerald’s Station and Farmstead
audio
Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site
audio
La Purísima Socorro Mission
Painted Rock Petroglyph Site
Presidio Chapel of San Elizario
Sears Point
The Pinery
Wire Road
audioYsleta Mission
Audio & media
🎧
🎬
🖼
Learn more
Please note that Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail does NOT have a passport stamp. This part of the national historic trail planning process is in the works. When information is available, we will share here throughout NPSDigital.
Those portions of the Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail authorized by Congress include over 3,000 miles of historic trail that was once an overland mail route between the eastern United States and growing populations on the West Coast. The route passes through seven states from Missouri to California. Learn more about the stage route stations by state.
Did you know that there are passport stamps for the National Historic Trails? Whether you are a trail partner or a trail visitor, find out more about how to get stamped by the NHTs!
Learn more about how to get your national historic trail passport cancellation stamp - either virtually or by finding a location near you!
In celebration of the 55th anniversary of the National Trails System Act, learn more about these significant trails and their history.
How Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail connects
This park's activities, topics, location, and on-the-ground places — one hop in the graph. Drag to explore; click an activity, topic, or related park to follow it.
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