Independence Missouri was the original starting point of the Oregon Trail. Independence was the largest settlement in the area at the time and was a natural gathering point where settlers prepared for the long journey. Independence is home to The National Frontier Trails Museum and research library devoted to preserving the history of the area.
South Pass was somewhat of an enigma for settlers. Contrary to popular belief at the time, South Pass is not a dangerously narrow and winding mountain pass, but a large, 20 mile wide valley through the Wyoming Rockies. South Pass is largely considered the most important point along the Oregon Trail, as it was the boundary between the United States and Oregon Country. Interstate 80 now traverses South Pass through Wyoming.
Fort Vancouver was a British outpost located on the north bank of the Columbia River in the 1800s. While Fort Vancouver was originally built as a trading outpost, as more American settlers moved west, the British government added troops in response to a boundary dispute with the United States. Fort Vancouver, in the city of Vancouver, Washington, is a land-marked National Historic Site under the management of The National Park Service.
Oregon City was the final stop on the Oregon Trail as it was where the government had promised 640 acres of farmland to settlers. Today most of the area is still productive farmland and home to numerous museums and historical sites recognizing Oregon City as the official end of The Oregon Trail.
