The Carson Route evolved from a narrow dirt wagon road into a scenic byway as generations of travelers and changing transportation needs reshaped it. In 1844, John C. Fremont and Kit Carson followed an ancient Indian trading route over Carson Pass on their way to Sutter’s Fort in Sacramento. In 1848, discharged members of the Mormon Battalion crossed the route from west to east to join family and friends in Salt Lake City. For the next three years after 1849, the route was the most heavily used Sierra crossing by gold seekers. In 1862, after the discovery of the Comstock Lode, the Amador Carson Valley Wagon Road was built along the general location of the highway today, carrying produce and timber to Nevada’s silver mines. In 1911, the old wagon road was replaced by the Alpine State Highway, whose narrow winding course served animals, wagons, and the first slow-moving cars. In the 1930s, faster cars and the growing popularity of recreational touring led to straighter, wider roads and improvements that included the original Peddler Hill overlook. Further highway improvements came in 1958 as car speeds kept increasing, while Pacific Gas and Electric’s Lower Bear River Reservoir, built in 1951, and day-use recreation sites along the route, including the Peddler Hill Ski Area, drew more visitors to the area. From 1950 to 1972, Peddler Hill Ski Area stood directly across the highway, and this overlook marked the farthest point east that the state plowed snow until Kirkwood Ski Area opened 20 miles farther east in 1972 and Peddler Hill closed.