The Last Spike

This is the spike that made Las Vegas. On January 30, 1905, near this spot south of the valley, workers drove the last spike completing the railroad between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles—the line built by Montana copper baron and senator William Clark. It was among the last transcontinental routes to reach southern California, and there was no formal celebration, just a few men marking the moment in the desert. But the railroad needed water and a division point midway, and the springs supplied both: the company platted the Las Vegas townsite and auctioned its lots in May.

What the plaque says

On January 30, 1905, near this site, workers drove the last spike that completed the railroad between Salt Lake City, Utah and Los Angeles, California. This was the last “transcontinental” line to southern California and one of the last lines built to the Pacific Coast. Although there was no formal celebration at the time of the last spike, those present gave some recognition to the event. Las Vegas owes its existence to the railroad, then known as the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad. Because the valley had a good supply of water, the railroad company platted the Las Vegas town site and established a division point there.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Spring Mountain Ranch State Park — 19 mi
  A spring-fed green oasis under the red Wilson Cliffs — and a roll call of colorful owners
• Las Vegas Strip — 20 mi
  Four and a quarter miles of engineered spectacle — the most famous street in America (and it isn't in Las Vegas)
• Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area — 22 mi
  The Mojave wilderness that begins where Las Vegas ends — striped sandstone cliffs and a 13-mile scenic loop
• Fremont Street — 24 mi
  Glitter Gulch — the neon canyon where Las Vegas actually began

More markers nearby

• Old Spanish Trail (Mountain Springs Pass) — 15 mi
• The Old Spanish Trail 1829-1850 — 16 mi
• Potosí — 16 mi
• The Old Spanish Trail 1829-1850 — 18 mi