Martin's Cove


Martin's Cove is a small sheltered area on the northwest edge of the Sweetwater River in Carbon County, Wyoming, approximately 30 miles southwest of Casper. It lies right next to the National Historic Trails common trail corridor of the Oregon, California, Mormon Historic and Pony Express Trails.

In 1856, a Mormon handcart company took refuge here after becoming trapped by an early October snowstorm. The incident has long been recognized as one of the great tragedies along the emigrant trails. The story has long been known to trail enthusiasts but was largely unknown outside that core group until the late 1990s, when the LDS Church purchased the historic Tom Sun Ranch, adjacent to the Cove.Martin's Cove

The Cove is located on BLM-owned property next to the Tom Sun Ranch. Prior to the purchase of this historic ranch by the LDS Church, it was very unusual for the Sun family to allow visitors access to the Cove. Following the Church's purchase of the ranchlands, they sent missionaries to the site to conduct tours of Martin's Cove. The BLM worked with the Church to try to accommodate this increase in visitation without harming the natural qualities of the Cove setting. Within a few years, the Church attempted to purchase the Cove from the BLM, setting off a firestorm among preservationists who worried about the precedent this would set. Since Martin's Cove is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, many people felt it was inappropriate for the BLM to even consider such a sale. Other groups worried about the precedent that would be set by selling federal lands to a religious group, especially in light of the many claims that native peoples have to a variety of sacred sites on public lands. Ultimately, the notion of a sale was dropped and the BLM entered into a long-term lease with the LDS Church which assures the church continued access to the site while also ensuring that the BLM can maintain some level of supervision to protect other values at the site. 

The Alliance for Historic Wyoming was born out of the struggle to keep Martin's Cove in public hands. Therefore, a great deal of information on this years-long dispute can be found on our website. If you are interested in particular aspects of the dispute, please be sure to use the search feature on our site to help you find the documents you seek. Here are links to some of the more significant pieces of the story: