KANSAS CITY
OMAHA
LINCOLN
PORTLAND
Hiawatha
Atchison
Leavenworth
Ottawa
Manhattan
Emporia
Junction City
Marysville
Hastings
LowellFairbury
Beatrice
Fremont
Norfolk
Columbus
York
Grand Island
Blair
Hays
McCook
Holdrege
Kearney
Lexington
North Platte
Sterling
Sidney
Kimball
Oshkosh
Julesburg
Brule
Bayard
Chadron
Lusk
Guernsey
Wheatland
Laramie
TorringtonHenry
Douglas
Muddy Gap
Rawlins
Harrison
Scottsbluff
Hot Springs
Gillette
Buffalo
Worland
Cody
Jackson
Pinedale
Marbleton
Cokeville
Kemmerer
Blackfoot
Burley
Nampa
Glenns Ferry
Twin Falls
Rexburg
Logan
Brigham City
Afton
SodaSprings
Montpelier
Alliance
Gering
Ogallala
Valentine
Rock Springs
Farson
Riverton
LanderNyssa
La Grande
Walla Walla
Arlington
Dufur
Sandy
Astoria
Longview
Madras
Bend
Baker City
Pendleton
Coos Bay
Roseburg
VANCOUVER
SALEM
CORVALLIS
EUGENE
KENNEWICK
BOISE
IDAHO FALLS
POCATELLO
CASPER
CHEYENNE
FORT COLLINS
GREELEY
SALINA
COUNCIL BLUFFS
TOPEKA
LAWRENCE
ST. JOSEPH
INDEPENDENCE
PA
CI F
I CO
CE
AN
GREATSALTLAKE
River
Columbia
River
Columbia
River
Missouri
River Missouri
Rive
r
Plat
te
River
Platte North
Rive
r
PlatteSouth
River
North
Platte
River
Platte
North
BearLake
River
Snake
Yellowstone
Rive
r
River
Snake
Riv
er
Snak
e
Riv
er
Wil
lam
ette
River
Snak
e
Rive
r
Nehalem
River
River
Crater Lake
North Umpqua
South Umpqua
UpperKlamath
Lake
MalheurLake
River
River
Crooked
Des
chu
tes
Rive
r Joh
nD
ay
River
LakeWallula
River
Lake
OwyheeMal
heu
r
River
Burnt
WallowaLake
PayetteLake
River
Gra
nd
e
River
Rond
e
River
Salmon
Salmon
Salmon
Riv
er
Rive
r
Hebgen Lake
JacksonLake
AmericanFalls
Reservoir
LakeWalcott
BlackfootReservoir
PalisadesReservoir
YellowstoneLake
River
Wind
FontenelleReservoir
River
Green
FlamingGorge
Reservoir
River
Pow
der
River
Bighorn
PathfinderReservoir
Laramie
Rive
r
GlendoReservoir
River
River
Niobrara
Cheyen
ne
LakeMcConaughy
River
LoupMiddle
Niobrara
River
River
Saline
SmokyHill
RiverHarlanCounty
LakeRepublican
LittleBlue
Rive
r
Elkhorn
River
Blue
Big
River
River
River
Solomon
Tuttle Creek Lake
River
Neosho
des
Marais
River
Kansa
s
Platte
River
River
Cygnes
Um
atilla
Sweetwater River
Powder
INDEPENDENCE was the pre-ferred jumping off point forthe Oregon and Santa Fe Trailsin the 1840s and early 1850s.
FORT KEARNY: the U.S. Armyestablished the fort in 1848 toprovide protection for emigrants.All trails from jumping off pointsalong the Missouri River methere, at the “Gateway to theGreat Plains.”
ASH HOLLOW was the entry tothe North Platte River Valley. Ample supplies of wood, water,and grass made this a sought-after camping area.
SCOTTS BLUFF was one ofthe major landmarks on thetrail, and, with Chimney Rock35 miles east, it signaled thatalmost one-third of the trailhad been traversed.
INDEPENDENCE ROCK: fur trap-pers named this formation onJuly 4, 1824. Many emigrantslater carved or painted theirnames on the rock.
SOUTH PASS: here the emigrantscrossed the Continental Divideand passed into the OregonCountry. The Pass is so broad andso level that many did not realizethey had passed into the Pacificwatershed.
REGISTER CLIFF: of the thousandsof names carved by emigrantsinto the soft sandstone, severalhundred are still legible. Sometrail ruts, as deep as five feet, arethree miles west.
FORT BRIDGER was a majorsupply point on the trail. Herethe Mormon Trail veered offto the southwest and into Utah.
THREE ISLAND CROSSING: ifthe water was low this wasthe best place to cross to thenorth bank of the Snake Riverto a route that offered bettertravel conditions and ampledrinking water.
FLAGSTAFF HILL: travelers caughttheir first glimpses of the BlueMountains from this point—anindication their trip was nearingthe end.
WHITMAN MISSION: Marcusand Narcissa Whitman, whohelped blaze the route of theOregon Trail, established amission to Christianize theIndians here in 1836.
BLUE MOUNTAINS: Thoughthe trail passed over moun-tainous terrain, wood, water,and shade were abundant—a welcome change from thedesert along the Snake River.
THE DALLES: before the openingof the Barlow Road in 1846, emi-grants had no choice but to buildrafts and float down the treach-erous Columbia.
OREGON CITY: the Oregon Trailended here. Fort Vancouver, aHudson’s Bay Company tradingpost, is across the Columbia inWashington.
BARLOW PASS: tired and wearyemigrants who chose not togo down the Columbia faceda steep climb to the pass beforedescending into the WillametteValley.
FORT LARAMIE: this early Indiantrading post quickly developedinto the major resupply pointfor emigrants and a major militarypost. Old Bedlam, on the fortgrounds, is the oldest structurein Wyoming.
Divide
Continental
Divide
Continental
Divide
Continental Divide
Continental
Divide
Continental
G
R
E
A
T
PL
AI
NS
RA
NG
ES
CO
AS
T
RA
NG
E
CA
SC
AD
E
BI
TT
ER
RO
OT
RA
NG
E
S A L M O N R I V E R
M O U N T A I N S
WIND R IVER RANGE
B I GH
OR
N M
OU
NT
AI N
S
L A R AM
I E M
OU
NT
AI N
S
BL
UE
M
OU
NT
AI N
S
G R E AT D I V I D E
B A S I N
B L A C KH I L L S
S A N D H I L L S
ME D I C I N E B O
W
MO
UN
TAI N
S
GRANITE
MOUNTAINSWY
OM
IN
G
RA
NG
E
CA
NY
ON
HE
LL
S
LaramiePeak
Prospect Hill
Gannett Peak13804ft4207m
Wind River Peak13192ft4021m
Big SouthernButte
Teapot Dome
Castle Butte
BruneauDunes
Mt Hood11235ft3424m
UMATILLAINDIAN
RESERVATION
WARM SPRINGS
INDIAN
RESERVATION
FORT HALL
INDIAN
RESERVATION
Crater LakeNational Park
John Day Fossil Beds NM
Craters ofthe MoonNationalMonument
City of RocksNational Reserve
Fossil ButteNM
Grand TetonNational Park
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.Memorial Parkway
Rocky MountainNational Park
Tallgrass PrairieNational Preserve
BighornCanyonNRA Badlands National Park
Wind CaveNational Park
NiobraraNational Scenic Riverway
Homestead NM of America
MissouriNational ScenicRiverway
Mount RushmoreN Mem
Jewel CaveNM
Agate Fossil Beds NM
Big HoleNationalBattlefield
Nez PerceNationalHistorical Park
Nez PerceNationalHistorical Park
Golden Spike NHS
HagermanFossil Beds NM
Fort ClatsopNational
Memorial
Fort Scott NHS
Yellowstone
National Park
WASHINGTON
OREGON
IDA
HO
OREG
ON
ORE
GO
NID
AH
O
IDAHO
NEVADA UTAH WY
OM
ING
UTA
H
WYOMING
UTAH
WY
OM
ING
IDA
HO
MONTANA
IDAHO
MONTANA
WYOMING
WYOMING
COLORADO
NEBRA
SKA
KA
NSA
S
CO
LORA
DO
SOU
TH D
AK
OTA
NEBRA
SKA
WY
OM
ING
SOUTH DAKOTA
NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA
KANSAS
MISSO
URI
KAN
SAS
IOWA
MISSOURI
NEBRASKA
KANSAS
W A S H I N G T O N
O R E G O N
I D A H O
N E V A D AU T A H
M O N T A N A
W Y O M I N G
C O L O R A D O
S O U T H D A K O T A
N E B R A S K A
K A N S A S
I O W A
M I S S O U R I
End of the Oregon TrailInterpretive Center
National HistoricOregon TrailInterpretive Center
The National Oregon/California Trail Center
National HistoricTrails Interpretive Center
Fort LaramieNHS
Scotts Bluff NM (Mitchell Pass)
ChimneyRock NHS
Fort VancouverNHS
Whitman MissionNHS
Oregon City
PhilipFosterFarm
Barlow Pass
GovernmentCamp
The Dalles
Three Island Crossing
FortBridger
South Pass
Independence Rock
Register CliffMexican Hill
Ash Hollow
FortKearny
BlueMound
Kansas RiverCrossing/Pappin’s Ferry
PellantRuts
Alcove Spring
Parting of theOregon andSanta Fe Trails
Lone ElmCampground
Scott SpringCoon Creek/Marshall Grave
Hollenberg Station
TheNarrows
Thirty-twoMile Station
Ayr Ruts
Susan Hail Graveand Ruts
Plum Creek
Dan Smith’sWest Ranch
FortMcPherson
O’Fallon’sBluff
California Hill
Windlass Hill
Courthouse/Jail Rock
Robidoux Pass
GuernseyRuts
Warm Springs
Avenue of Rocks
Emigrant Gap
Willow Springs
SplitRock
Pacific Springs
Dry Sandy Crossing
Little Sandy Crossing
West End of theSublette Cutoff
SheepRock
Fort Hall
American Falls
Register RockColdwater Hill
Caldron Linn
ShoshoneFalls
Stricker Store/Rock Creek Station
Rock CreekCrossing
C.J. Strike Ruts
Rattlesnake Station
Canyon Creek Station
Utter Massacre Site
KeeneyPass
Givens Hot Springs
RockyRidge
Devil’sGate
Fort Casper
Ayres NaturalBridge
Horse CreekTreaty Grounds
Hembree Grave
Partingof the Ways
Lombard FerryCrossing
Name Rock
Thomas Fork Crossing
BigHill
Soda SpringsComplex
California Trail Junction/Raft River Crossing
Massacre Rocks
MilnerRuts
Kanaka Rapids
Teapot Dome Hot Springs
Inscription RockDitto Station
Indian Creek StationBonneville Point
Fort Boise
Farewell Bend
HilgardJunction
Blue Mountain CrossingInterpretive Park
Meacham
Echo
WellSpring
EmigrantSprings
EchoMeadowsFourmile
CanyonBiggs Junction Ruts
Barlow Gate
Tygh Valley
Cascades ofthe Columbia
John Day RiverCrossing
DeschutesRiverCrossing
Laurel Hill
West BarlowTollgate
Deadman Pass
Ward Massacre Site
Vale
Flagstaff Hill
Canyon Hill Ruts
Thousand SpringsUpper Salmon Falls
Church Butte
Ice Slough
Burnt Ranch
Amanda LaminGrave
Rock Creek StationJunction of St. Joe andIndependence Roads
St. MarysMission
Vieux Cemetery/Red VermillionCrossing
UpperWakarusa
Crossing
Upper Crossing of theSouth Platte River
Mormon Ferry(1849)
Saleratus LakeThree Crossings
Big Sandy Crossing
Black Vermillion Crossing
UpperIndependenceLanding
WildwoodRecreation
Area
84
84
84
82
5
5
26
20
126
5
97
97
97
12
26
20
26 26
20
95
20
20
26
30
30
30
30
93
19
19
19
74
11
218
207
207
206
197
395
730
395
201
86
75
21
78
75
75
82
9593
93
84
84
84
862693
15
89
2020
20
26
14
20
26
89
89
89
191
15
15
80
189
189
189
191
191
287
287
287
191
30
28
28
372
789
220
372
26287
2689
1416
80
80
80
76
25
30287
2026
1885
25
25
90
9016
16
20
83
20
18
20
20
85
26
3083
30
81
7577
77
24
75
69
71
73
36
75
36
36
73
30
3081
26
85
76
85
85
85
71
29
385
385
38525
23
30275
80
80
634
283
6
83
81
70
6
275
80
29
29
680
3475
9916
63
70
35
35
70
29
35
135
335
169
80
95
North
0
0
50 Miles
50 Kilometers
Big Sandy toGreen River Segment
West End of theSublette Cutoff Segment
Hagerman Fossil Beds Segment
Sinker Creek Segment
Alkalai Springs Segment
Ladd Canyon Segment
Emigrant Hill SegmentBoardman
Segment
Barlow RoadSegment
Blue Mountains Segment
North Trail Segment
South PassSegment
Prospect HillSegment
Fort Laramie toWarm Springs Segment
St. Marys-Red VermillionCrossing Segment
Columbia GorgeDiscovery Center
TamustalikCulturalInstitute
Trail interpretivecenter
Oregon Trail route
Segments of the trailoffering the best visitorexperiences
KANSAS CITY
Missouri
River
National FrontierTrails Center
INDEPENDENCE
Minor Park/Red Bridge Crossing
UpperIndependenceLanding
Eighty-fifth Street Ruts
Heart Grove Campground
New Santa Fe69
71
73
70
70
35
35
29
470MISSO
URI
KAN
SAS
0
0
10 Mi.
10 Km.10
Santa Fe Trail Park Ruts
IndependenceCourthouse Square
29
435
435
435
435
Kansas City/Independence area
See map above