Santa Fe Trail Remains

The Santa Fe Trail Remains are wagon ruts that extend for about two miles with deep furrows carved into the earth. These marks were created by decades of crossings with loaded wagons and document the heavy use of this trade route.

This route connected the eastern United States with Spanish New Mexico beginning in the early 19th century, reviving trade between the regions. The ruts are reminders of a century of intense freight transport across the prairie.

The visible ruts show how trading caravans and settlers used the same path across generations, permanently shaping the landscape. These repeated crossings reveal the economic importance of this route for early American western expansion.

This location lies west of Dodge City and is accessible throughout the year, with marked areas for viewing. Visitors should expect open prairie conditions and variable weather when planning a trip.

This location preserves the most visible wagon ruts of the entire route and allows visitors to experience the physical depth of these historic passages firsthand. You can directly perceive the height differences between the ruts and the surrounding ground.