Charlie’s Ruts on the Santa Fe Trail

Visited on: Wednesday, September 27, 2023
National Treasure: Santa Fe National Historic Trail

It’s amazing that some of the wagon ruts along the Santa Fe Trail are still visible today.

Just outside of Deerfield, KS, a marker reveals a site and the area is occasionally mowed, allowing you to trek along the path where traveler trod during the American Westward Expansion.

Two signs stand beside a grassy trail. The left sign is a Kansas Historical Marker describing Santa Fe Trail Ruts, with blue and yellow text. The right sign is brown and marks "Charlie's Ruts" on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. Bushes and open fields extend behind.
A white metal gate stands open in a grassy field under a clear blue sky. A dirt path leads away through tall grass. A sign by the gate reads: “WELCOME TO AN 1846 WALK IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS SANTA FE TRAIL BATH JOHN.” Power lines are visible in the distance.
Wagon ruts run through tall, dry, golden grasses on flat open grassland under a clear blue sky. The horizon stretches far into the distance, with no trees or buildings visible except for a single tree near the center.
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From: Kansas
Filed Under: Driving Discoveries, National Treasures, U.S. National Historic Trails & Scenic Trails
Journal Entry Tags:
Historical MarkersOld West
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