One of the most famous of landmarks along the entire trail, Indpendence Rock is a solid piece of granite protruding from the desert floor. Travelers on the trail used it as a guage of their progress -- if they arrived here by the 4th of July, they were on schedule (thus the name). It was traditional to celebrate Independence Day here, regardless of the date. Climbing the rock was a popular diversion (it still is!) and thousands of trail travelers left their names carved into the granite.

The trail first met the Sweetwater River here at Independence Rock and would follow that river all the way to South Pass.