Where Does the Oregon Trail Start & End



Where Does the Oregon Trail Start & End?



Travel Tips

Johnny Kampis, Demand Media

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Parts of the Oregon Trail still can be seen in Utah.

For hundreds of thousands of settlers in the 19th century, the Oregon Trail was the only practical path to the western areas of the United States. Beginning in Missouri, the trail snaked through Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon, while also touching parts of Washington and Iowa. About 10 percent of those who took the 2,000-mile trek west died along the route, but those who successfully navigated the trail were rewarded with wide open expanses on which to begin a new settlement.

Beginning in St. Louis

Those who planned to travel the trail congregated in St. Louis in early spring to begin the four- to six-month trek. This would be the last big city most would visit. Settlers loaded wagons and supplies onto steamships to travel 200 miles upstream on the Missouri River, departing when the river began heading north. The easy part of the journey ended there.

Ending in Fort Vancouver and Oregon City

Many settlers ended their journey at the British outpost of Fort Vancouver, on the north bank of the Columbia River. Here, the fort's commander, John McLoughlin, provided food and medicine to weary travelers. The fort contained a large garden, as well as a library, theater, church and school. Oregon City was located across the river and many pioneers headed there to stake claims and begin their lives anew.

Other Major Stops

The unique Chimney Rock is a 325-foot-tall rock spire that rises above the plains in western Nebraska. This spire actually stood quite a bit taller in the days the Oregon Trail was used, making it perhaps the most spectacular landmark along the route. Erosion has taken its toil to chip away at the rock in the centuries since. Fort Laramie in eastern Wyoming was for many the first signs of civilization in weeks. This fort was considered the gateway to the Rockies and some pioneers gave up and turned back at this point. Independence Rock is some 100 miles west of Fort Laramie. This domed rock was a resting point for many pioneers, and many arrived here around Independence Day, hence its name.

Reason for the Trail

The west coast of Oregon was settled by emigrants traveling by ship, but this method proved to be unpopular because it cost much more than traveling in wagon by land. Most settlers came from the central United States, which was hundreds of miles from the nearest sea port. Travel by sea also took much longer, up to a year compared with less than half as long by the Oregon Trail.

References

• Idaho State University: All About the Oregon Trail

Photo Credits

• Jupiterimages/Getty Images

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