Piedmont Charcoal Kilns

Today, three beehive-shaped charcoal kilns stand next to the crumbling remains of a railroad station. The houses and businesses of the old town of Piedmont are now reduced to drafty shacks filled with twisted piles of lumber and glass. Once, Piedmont was a bustling town, and the limestone kilns produced charcoal for shipment to the mining smelters in Utah. In 1869, Mormon pioneer Moses Byrne built the kilns, of which there were originally five at the site. The 30-foot tall kilns were filled with wood from the nearby Uinta Mountains and burned at a regulated smolder for many days to produce charcoal. In 1873, together with the approximately 35 other kilns in the surrounding area, charcoal production reached an estimated 100,000 bushels each month. While most of the charcoal made its way to the Salt Lake Valley, some was shipped to Fort Bridger to supply the blacksmith forges and heating stoves. Visitors can travel to the kilns via a county road that runs along the grade of the old Union Pacific Railroad. Be sure to photograph these unique structures along with the ghost town of Piedmont and plan a trip to nearby Fort Bridger as you travel through southwest Wyoming.

Protect Our Heritage!
The Piedmont Kilns are an important part of Wyoming’s heritage. Please protect the site for future generations. Do not damage or deface the kilns or collect artifacts from the site.

To report vandalism, call:

Fort Bridger Office
307-782-3842