The Outlaw Trail

by Robert Redford, Jonathan Blair (Photographer)

Book by Redford, Robert

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Travel, Westerns

223 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 1978

About the author

Charles Robert Redford, Jr. was an Academy Award-winning American film director, actor, producer, businessman, model, environmentalist and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Sundance Film Festival.

Reviews

[GoldGato]

In the 1970s, film actor Robert Redford undertook a journey through the famous Outlaw Trail, where Butch Cassidy and his gang once roamed. Along the way, Redford met with still-living denizens who could remember the dying days of the last gunfighters. The book is inundated with photographs and the interviews with ranchers and octogenarians are enthralling.



During one conversation, Redford starts asking about Tom Horn and an old man responds with stories about several outlaws that had me quickly turning pages to keep up with his memories. Contemporary photos of ghost towns and abandoned homesteads mesh with B&W shots of 19th-century gunfighters on the gallows. This is a big gorgeous book which was recommended to me by a group of German tourists who were about to embark on the same adventure.

Book Season = Spring (Johnson County War)

[Victoria]

Given to me by a friend after the passing of Mr. Redford, this book is a mix of stories, memories, photos, history. Published in the 70s, and therefore very dated, I can't help but wonder what some of these lands and ranches look like now, 2026. I remember reading the National Geographic article ages ago, this book was a trip down memory-lane for many reasons.

I didn't want the book to end, probably because it was like spending time with Robert Redford while he shared stories and asked pertinent questions about colorful characters from history and our relationship with the land. He truly loved the West.

RIP, Robert Redford.

[Guy Pauley]

I have coveted this book for a while now because it is written by Robert Redford, the party that took on the Outlaw Trail included Edward Abbey (a personal hero of mine), and it's about a trail in the West. I don't need much more than that to be honest. I finally pulled the trigger on this somewhat pricey used coffee table book. It does not disappoint.

This is not an adventure book. Nothing particularly harrowing or memorable happens to the group. It's simply a recounting by Redford of his experience on the trail and the people he met along the way as they covered The Outlaw trail by horse, boat, vehicle, and on foot. There is impressive photography and some Western outlaw history thrown in for his measure. Just overall very enjoyable and a treasured possession of mine.

[Alex]

I found this book to be very fun. I enjoy the photography and I really enjoy Redford’s stories and account of his journey. It’s somewhat of a journalist endeavour with a more intimate feeling. I love the west and am always feigning to learn more about it.

[Scott Hardy]

Nice pics. It's a coffee table book. Could have been so good. Famous Rich folk are boring.

[litost]

This book has been called a “vanity project”, “a half-baked attempt at a book”, etc. Having now read it, I do have to agree with some of that. Redford writes the book like a journal, recording what his companions are doing, what it’s like to ride a horse over rough country, conversations with locals (always opinionated, not often interesting). He did have a historian with him on the trip, but this is not a history book. The history that is presented is ad hoc and does not provide a complete picture (I recommend Charles Kelly’s The Outlaw Trail). I think of this book as a travelogue: we get to ride along with Redford through the old wild west. The photographs by Jonathan Blair are beautiful. My favourite parts, though, are the old photographs of the towns as they were then, and of the outlaws and other characters of the time.

[Annette]

We've been collecting books about southern Utah and have become fascinated with the Outlaw Trail. In this book, Robert Redford chronicles his journey traveling the Outlaw Trail. Spending much of his trip on horseback, Redford weaves the history of the people and places with his experiences along this historic trail. Traveling with a small group of people including Edward Abbey, Redford makes you feel a part of the expedition. Combining photos taken by a National Geographic Society photographer with historical photographs, this book was a great armchair travel experience. Written in the mid 1970s, it's amazing how many things have changed and how much is still the same.

[Grant]

Nice book to read through. Story and background of the area made famous by The whole in wall gang