From Independence, Mo., to Oregon City, Ore., the Oregon Trail marks the westward migration of pioneers from the central states, and a variety of activities beckon today's visitors along the trail. The 2,000-mile trip took four to six months by wagon, and the first wave of travel began with about 1,000 emigrants in 1843. During the next 25 years, more than 500,000 traveled the route. According to Mike Trinklein and Steve Boettcher, creators of the PBS documentary, "The Oregon Trail," the westward migration on the trail dwindled in 1869 with completion of the transcontinental railroad.
The historic site of Scotts Bluff features a 1.6-mile Saddle Rock Trail to the summit, or visitors can take the guided Summit Shuttle to the top of Scotts Bluff. At the summit, you can hike a half-mile overlook trail to view the surrounding badlands and the North Platte River Valley. The southern overlook trail is just one-eighth mile and offers views of the Oregon Trail, Mitchell Pass and the visitor center. Covered wagons are maintained on the site, along with an "Oregon Trail Pathway" where you can see remnants of the trail. The visitor center offers activities, including a summertime living history program, and rangers lead interpretive hikes on the site.
Scotts Bluff National Monument
P.O. Box 27
Gering, NE 69341
308-436-9700
Emigrants on the Oregon Trail tried to arrive at Independence Rock by Independence Day; they knew they were behind schedule if they didn't make Independence Rock by the Fourth of July. The rock, a 128-foot-tall granite outcropping, is 1,900 feet long and 700 feet wide. The site is close to the Sweetwater River, 50 miles south of Casper, at mile marker 63 on Wyoming's State Highway 220. Accessible from a rest area along the highway, it's about 20 miles northeast of Muddy Gap. Emigrants at Independence Rock, during evenings in July, would swarm over the rock, leaving messages for friends and relatives who followed behind. Names were carved or engraved on the rock, or painted with tar or wagon grease. Despite the passage of time, thousands of names are still visible on the rock, and today's visitors enjoy finding and reading the pioneer messages.
Wyoming Travel & Tourism
1520 Etchepare Circle
Cheyenne, WY 82007
307-577-5150
The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management; it's on Flagstaff Hill on Highway 86 just east of Baker City, Ore. The interpretive center offers activities, including living history demonstrations, pioneer exhibits, interpretive programs, multimedia presentations, and a calendar of special events. The site features more than four miles of well-laid-out interpretive trails and showcases a collection of artifacts. Five miles east of Baker City, take exit 302 off Interstate 84 to the 500-acre site.
National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
P.O. Box 987
Baker City, OR 97814
541-523-1843
In the early 1840s, on a site originally called Waiilatpu, "the place of rye grass," Marcus and Narcissa Whitman built a mission that over the years became an important stop for Oregon Trail emigrants. The site included a gristmill, a blacksmith shop and many acres of farmed crops. When measles broke out at the mission in the fall of 1847, many local Indians were killed; the white newcomers survived, so the Cayuse Indians suspected that the Whitmans and their foreign religion had caused the disease. The Cayuse killed the Whitmans and 11 others, and they burned the mission to the ground. The mission site now features a rotating series of displays with a focus on archaeology, and offers an impressive list of activities and classes from Indian beadwork to sidesaddle riding.
Whitman Mission
328 Whitman Mission Road
Walla Walla, WA 99362
(509) 522-6360
