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Oregon National Historic TrailEmigrant wagons often descended Windlass Hill with their wheeels locked creating deep ruts.
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Oregon National Historic Trail
Helpful Links & Resources

For more information on the history of the Oregon Trail, locating trail sites or traveling segments of the trail you may contact:

 

 




 

 

 

Other National Park Service Trail Sites:


  • Homestead National Monument can suggest places to visit along the trail corridor or auto tour route in Nebraska:

    Homestead National Monument
    Route 3, Box 47
    Beatrice, Nebraska 66310
    Tel: 402-223-3514
    www.nps.gov/home
  • Chimney Rock National Historic Site
    PO Box F
    Bayard, NE 69334
    Tel: 308-586-2581
    www.nps.gov/chro/
  • Visit Scotts Bluff National Monument, a prominent natural landmark for emigrants on the Oregon & California trails. Features visitor center/museum, bookstore, a drive or hike to summit, trail ruts:

    Scotts Bluff National Monument
    PO Box 27
    Gering, NE 69341-0027
    Tel: 308-436-4340
    www.nps.gov/scbl/
  • Fort Laramie National Historic Site
    HC 72, Box 389
    Fort Laramie, WY 82212
    Tel: 307-837-2221
    www.nps.gov/fola/
  • Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
    P.O. Box 570, 221 North State Street
    Hagerman, ID 83332
    Tel: 208-837-4793
    www.nps.gov/hafo/
  • Whitman Mission National Historic Site can provide information on the Whitman Route of the Oregon Trail & local area visitor information:

    Whitman Mission National Historic Site
    328 Whitman Mission Road
    Walla Walla, WA 99362-9699
    Tel: 509-522-6360
    www.nps.gov/whmi/
  • Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
    612 E. Reserve St.
    Vancouver, WA 98661-3897
    Tel: 1-800-832-3599
    www.nps.gov/fova/

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Other Federal Trail Agencies:


  • This is the primary information office for the Bureau of Land Management, Historic Trails Office. They can provide a wealth of information on trail routes, historic sites and accessibility and trail conditions:

    Bureau of Land Management
    Historic Trails Office
    1701 East E St.
    Casper, WY 82601
    Tel: 307-261-7700
  • The Eastern Idaho Visitor Information Center (National Forest Service, BLM Surface Management & USGS 7.5 Minute Topos) can provide Idaho state maps, various other maps of Idaho and western Wyoming and books on Idaho and surrounding attractions:

    Bureau of Land Management
    Eastern Idaho Visitor Information Center
    505 Lindsay Boulevard
    P. O. Box 50498
    Idaho Falls, ID 83405
    Tel: 208-523-1012
  • The Pocatello Resource Area is where several historic trail segments crossed. It can provide several pamphlets on trails in the area, and the publication "Emigrant Trails of Southern Idaho."

    Bureau of Land Management
    Pocatello Resource Area
    1111 No. 8th Ave.
    Pocatello, ID 83201
    Tel: 208-236- 6860
  • The National Oregon Trail Interpretive Center offers a museum, interpretive programs and information on the Oregon Trail in eastern Oregon.

    National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
    22267 Oregon Highway 86
    P.O. Box 987
    Baker City, Oregon 97814-0987
    Tel: 541-523-1843
  • Caribou National Forest can provide information on travel in southeast Idaho, the Lander Cutoff and Soda Springs.

    Caribou National Forest
    421 West 2nd South
    Soda Springs, ID 83276
    Tel: 208-236-7500
  • For information on trail conditions on the Blue Mountain Crossing section of the Oregon Trail:

    National Forest Service
    Blue Mountain
    Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

    LaGrande Ranger District
    3502 Highway 30
    LaGrande, OR 97850
    Tel: 503-936-7186
  • For End of the Oregon Trail Loop Tour brochure and information on trail resources on the river route:

    National Forest Service
    Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area902 Wasco Ave.
    Suite 200
    Hood River, OR 97031
    Tel: 503-386-2333
  • To obtain a map and conditions along the Barlow Road:

    National Forest Service
    Mount Hood National Forest
    Zigzag Ranger District
    70220 E. Hwy 26
    Zigzag, OR 97049
    Tel: 503-622-3191
  • For an excellent source for information on the Barlow road, including a detailed map, information on hiking, camping and historic sites along the route:

    National Forest Service
    Mt. Hood National Forest
    Bear Springs Ranger District

    73558 Highway 216
    Maupin, OR 97037
    Tel: 541-467-2291

 

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Selected State Historic Sites and Organizations:


  • For information on Oregon, California, Pony Express and Mormon Trails in southwest Wyoming, and to see a restored military and fur trade post, museum and outdoor exhibits:

    Fort Bridger State Historic Site
    Box 35
    Fort Bridger, WY 82601
    Tel: 307-782-3842
  • Rock Creek Station State Historic Park was a road ranch which catered to stages, freight lines and emigrant traffic on the Oregon Trail. It was used as a stage station and swing station on the Pony Express. It offers an interpretive center, picnic and playground areas, hiking and nature trails and Oregon Trail ruts and modern campground:

    Rock Creek Station State Historic Park
    57425 710 Road
    Fairbury, NE 68352
    Tel: 402-729-5777
  • Fort Kearny State Historic Park was the first military post along the Oregon Trail. It has a museum, outdoor exhibits and bookstore:

    Fort Kearny State Historical Park
    Route 4
    Kearney, NE 68847
    Tel: 308-234-9513
  • To view prominent Oregon Trail ruts, Windlass Hill, museum and outdoor exhibits:

    Ash Hollow State Historical Park
    P.O. Box A
    Lewellen, NE 69147
    Tel: 308-778-5651
  • To see Oregon Trail ruts, Register Rock and hiking trails and also enjoy campfire programs in summer, visit Massacre Rocks State Park:

    Massacre Rocks State Park
    3592 N. Park Lane
    American Falls, ID 83211
    Tel: 208-548-2672
  • Three Island Crossing State Park can provide brochures and information on the location of Oregon Trail ruts/remnants in the area of Three Island Ford. It also has interpretive programs in summer:

    Three Island Crossing State Park
    P. O. Box 609
    Glenns Ferry, ID 83623
    Tel: 208-336-2394
  • The Oregon Trail Coordinating Council can provide detailed information on the Oregon Trail across the state of Oregon:

    Oregon Trail Coordinating Council
    222 NW Davis
    Suite 309
    Portland, OR 97205
    Tel: 503-228-7245
  • The Eastern Oregon Visitors Association can provide information on attractions and the Oregon Trail in eastern Oregon:

    Eastern Oregon Visitors Association
    P. O. Box 1087
    Baker City, OR 97814



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Private Museums and Partner Associations:


  • Oregon-California Trails Association
    PO Box 1019
    Independence, MO 64051-0519
    Tel: 816-252-2276
    http://octa-trails.org/index.php

  • The National Oregon/California Trail Center
    P.O. Box 323
    320 North 4th Street
    Montpelier, ID 83254
    Tel: 208-847-3800
    http://www.oregontrailcenter.org/

  • National Frontier Trails Center
    318 West Pacific
    Independence, MO 64050
    Tel: 816-325-7575

  • Pendleton Chamber of Commerce
    25 S.E. Dorion
    Pendleton, OR 97801
    Tel: 1-800-547-8911
    http://www.pendleton-oregon.org/

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For information about specific states, you may contact:


  • Nebraska Department of Economic Development
    Travel and Tourism Division
    P.O. Box 94666
    Lincoln, NE 68509
    1-800-228-4307
    http://www.visitnebraska.org/
  • Kansas Division of Travel and Tourism
    400 SW Eighth Street
    5th Floor
    Topeka, KS 66603
    Tel: 1- 800-2-KANSAS
    http://www.travelks.com/
  • Idaho Department of Commerce, Tourism Promotion
    700 West State Street
    Boise, ID 83720-2700
    1-800-VISIT-ID
    http://www.visitid.org/


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Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, Nebraska
NPS Photo
The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument spans four lanes of Interstate 80 at Kearney, NE

Relevant Books and Publications


Comprehensive Management and Use Plan, Oregon National Historic Trail. This is a large PDF document that is approximately 19.4mb in size. Contact the National Trails System Office in Salt Lake City if you would like to have a printed copy mailed to you. Otherwise the document can be downloaded from here. Acrobat Reader is required for viewing the document.

Fanselow, Julie. The Traveler's Guide to the Oregon Trail. Helena and Billings: Falcon Press, 1992.

Granzwa, Gregory. Maps of the Oregon Trail. St. Louis: The Patrice Press, 1990.

Franzwa, Gregory. The Oregon Trail Revisited. St. Louis: The Patrice Press, 1988.

Haines, Aubrey. Historic Sites along the Oregon Trail. St. Louis: The Patrice Press, 1990.

Hill, William E. The Oregon Trail: Yesterday and Today. Caldwell: Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1989.

Lavender, David. Westward Vision: The Story of the Oregon Trail. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 1985.

Mattes, Merrill. The Great Platte River Road. Lincoln & London: University of Nebraska Press, 1969.

Unruh, John D., Jr. The Plains Across: The Overland Emigrants and the Trans-Mississippi West, 1940-60. Urbana & Chicago: University of Illinois press, 1982.

 

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Windless Hill near Ash Hollow on the Oregon & California trails.  

Did You Know?
After climbing up onto the prairie out of the Platte River Valley of western Nebraska, emigrant wagons headed for Oregon & California in the 1840s-1860s were faced with a very steep descent down Windless Hill near Ash Hollow.
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Last Updated: February 24, 2009 at 14:55 EST