Long before GPS, radar, or even reliable cockpit instruments, America’s first airmail pilots followed something far more primitive—but brilliantly effective—across the landscape: giant concrete arrows poured directly into the ground. These arrows were a critical part of the Transcontinental Air Mail Route, a pioneering aviation network that helped connect the United States by air in the early 1920s.
Why the Arrows Existed
When the U.S. Post Office launched regular airmail service, flying was still risky business. Aircraft were slow, navigation was crude, and pilots often flew low and relied on visual cues. To make cross-country mail delivery possible, the government created an airway system stretching from coast to coast.
The solution was simple and ingenious:
- Massive concrete arrows, typically 20–70 feet long
- Most were originally painted bright yellow for daytime visibility
- Oriented to point pilots toward the next landing field or beacon
At the tip or base of many arrows stood a steel airway beacon tower, usually with a rotating light visible from miles away at night.
Part of a Larger Airway Beacon Network
The concrete arrows weren’t standalone markers. They were part of a nationwide system of more than 1,500 lighted beacons, spaced roughly 10 to 15 miles apart. During daylight, pilots followed the arrows visually. At night or in poor visibility, they navigated from beacon to beacon using powerful rotating lights—essentially an early version of an aerial “highway.”
Where You Can Still Find Them
Although most arrows were abandoned after radio navigation and modern aviation technology took over in the 1930s, hundreds still exist today—especially in remote areas where development never erased them.
Some of the best places to spot surviving arrows include:
- The Southwest deserts (Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico)
- Isolated sections of Wyoming and Montana
- Near former emergency landing fields and beacon sites
Many are weathered, partially buried, or faded, but their unmistakable arrow shape still points the way—just as it did a century ago.
Concrete Navigation Arrow above Quail Creek Reservoir
Los Angeles to Salt Lake City segment of the Transcontinental Air Mail Route
The Los Angeles to Salt Lake City segment of the Transcontinental Air Mail Route was one of the most challenging—and important—links in the entire system. This route carried mail northeast from the Los Angeles basin across the Mojave Desert, over rugged terrain in Nevada and western Utah, and into Salt Lake City, a major airmail hub. Because pilots flew low and relied heavily on visual navigation, the route was marked by a chain of concrete arrows and rotating airway beacons, often spaced 10 to 15 miles apart, guiding aircraft across vast, featureless desert where landmarks were scarce. Harsh weather, extreme heat, and high-elevation flying made this stretch especially demanding, but it proved that long-distance airmail could reliably cross the West—helping cement air travel as a practical, nationwide transportation system.
The one we visited is 38 LA-SL Quail Creek, site No. 37 in Washington County, Utah near Hurricane. The GPS Coordinates are 37.180577, -113.400438 and makes for a neat side trip if you are visiting Sand Hollow. The arrow is above Quail Creek Reservoir, but there is a cliff in between the two. You’ll need a high-clearance vehicle to navigate the trail up to the arrow from pavement. We rode in our Yamaha RMAX 4 Limited.
Yamaha RMAX 4 Limited
Forgotten Landmarks of American Aviation
These concrete arrows are more than curiosities; they’re physical reminders of a bold era when aviation was experimental and dangerous, and when the U.S. government quite literally paved the way for modern flight. They represent a time when navigation depended on eyesight, courage, and a trail of arrows across open land.
For explorers, historians, pilots, and off-roaders alike, stumbling upon one of these arrows in the middle of nowhere feels like discovering a secret chapter of American history—still pointing east or west, long after the mail stopped flying overhead.
If you’re into forgotten infrastructure, desert exploration, or early aviation history, the Transcontinental Air Mail concrete arrows are some of the coolest hidden artifacts still waiting to be found. There are many websites that list locations of these arrows, and adding them to your off-road adventure makes for a neat destination.
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