This distinct feature in the landscape was used by the Mormons en route to Salt Lake City. It was also used as landmark on the California and Oregon trails. The U.S. Post Office Department had a mail station one half mile south of Devil's Gate and it was used until 1858.
Devil's Gate is a narrow cleft carved by the Sweetwater River through a ridge called the Sweetwater Rocks-370 feet deep, 1,500 feet long, and only 50 feet wide in places.
Devil's Gate is among the more interesting geographical landmarks along the emigrant trails. This natural feature became visible approximately 15 miles to the east. The gorge was impassable to wagons, and the trail passed to the south of the ridge, but this dark, gloomy canyon intrigued the emigrants. Many camped here, and almost all took the detour to inspect the gorge.
Osborne Cross recorded his delight on July 10, 1949. "This gap is truly wonderful, being a space not over twenty yards wide and about five hundred feet high, having very much the appearance of being chiseled out by the hand of man rather then the work of nature." More than 20 graves are thought to be located in the immediate vicinity, although only one is marked, and many emigrant inscriptions can still be found on the rock walls of the gorge.
(The above text was copied from the NPS website.)
The Mormons used Devil's Gate as a landmark en route to Salt Lake City. They also had their own mail-carriers from 1851 to 1853: Ephraim Hanks, Feramorz Little (a nephew of Brigham Young), and Charles F. Decker. One contemporary recalled, "They frequently swam rivers with mail bags on their heads, or formed floats of Indian-Rubber bed sacks . . . They sometimes carried 24 heavy bags of mail for the Great Salt Lake." The men met at Fort Laramie on the 15th of each month. From there they traveled 400 miles to Fort Bridger without a way-station until the Devil's Gate station was established.
(The above text was copied from this website: (
visit link)
The Shoshone and Arapahoe Indians attribute Devil’s Gate to the actions of an evil beast with enormous tusks that once roamed this area, preventing the Indians from hunting and camping in this region. Eventually, the Indians became disgusted and decided to kill the beast. From the passes and ravines, the warriors shot the beast with a multitude of arrows. The beast, enraged, tore a hole in the mountains with his large tusks and escaped.
(The above text was copied from this website:http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/trailsdemo/continue.htm)