Prior to 1851, mail from the United States took around 30 to 90 days to be delivered to the Gold Rush communities. The desire for even faster mail delivery led to the establishment of the Pony Express, which brought mail to California in a mere 10 days by individual riders on horseback. The Pony Express Trail from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, was 1840 miles in length.

Mail service by the Pony Express began in April of 1860 to October of 1861 when the Union Telegraph line was completed. The Pony Express National Historic Trail was established in 1992 to preserve the trail and commemorate those who rode it.

There are 19 miles of the trail in the Eldorado National Forest, eight which are designated as an NRT and parallel Highway 50. Access Points for the Pony Express Trail are: Echo Summit, Wrights Lake Road, Webber Mill Rd., Peavine Ridge Road and at the end of Bryan Meadow Road (11N09A) near the entrance to Sierra At Tahoe Ski Area. This trail is open to equestrians, bicyclists and hikers. Motorized use is not allowed.