Last updated: September 11, 2026
Place
Lake Valley Station (Lake Valley House)
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
About 4.5 miles south of Meyers, CA, on west side of Hawley Grade Trail. GPS marker 38.7957 -120.0203166667
Significance:
Lake Valley Station was an original Pony Express relay (remount) station at the foot of Hawley Grade, used April 3, 1860-Nov. 17, 1860. After the Johnson Pass Toll Road opened from Meyers, the Pony Express began using that direct route, reducing the ride by 8.4 miles and bypassing Lake Valley Station.
Designation:
Historic site on the Pony Express National Historic Trail.
MANAGED BY:
US Forest Service
Amenities
3 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Trailhead
When Pony Express operations began on April 3, 1860, westbound riders carried the mochila south from Genoa, Nevada, west up Carson Canyon, and over Luther Pass to the foot of Hawley Grade in California. There, Lake Valley Station served as a remount station at the foot of the steep climb to Johnson Pass.
This station was used through Nov. 17, 1860, when a new toll road opened to provide a more direct route from Johnson Pass to Dagget Pass, cutting 8.4 miles from the ride. The Pony Express adopted that route and moved to a new remount station, Yank’s, at present-day Meyers, California.
Today the Hawley Grade National Recreation Trail retraces the climb up the mountainside. A granite monument near the foot of the trail marks the site of Lake Valley Station. To visit, drive south from Meyers, California, on CA-89 for 4 miles. Turn right onto S Upper Truckee Rd, a paved one-lane road with switchbacks, and continue for about a mile. Bear right onto a narrow, unpaved road, marked with a forest service sign that reads “Hawley Grade National Recreation Trail. The site monument is about 65 yards ahead on the right.
Site Information
Location (About 4.5 miles south of Meyers, CA, on west side of Hawley Grade Trail. GPS marker 38.7957 -120.0203166667)