The Trip

Day One - Aug 22

Omaha, NE to Scottsbluff, NE

Pioneer Courage Park (arrive around 6:30 a.m.) - Installed in 2005 and 2009, four pioneer families and their covered wagons departing westward from Omaha. Each wagon stands approximately 12' high and more than 40' long when the oxen, horses or mules are placed in their hitches. Individual characters range in height from 3' to 7 1/2'. This site also includes Blair Buswell's Wagon Master that stands at 11' tall and weighs approximately 2,000 pounds.

Drive from Omaha, NE to Kearney, NE (2 hours and 30 minutes)

The Archway (arrive around 9:30 a.m.) - The Archway in Kearney, Nebraska, brings American history to life. Since prehistoric times, the path along the Platte River through Nebraska, once known as the Great Platte River Road, has served as a migratory route across the continent. From the Oregon Trail era to today, the Archway's family friendly exhibit tells the story of the adventurers who followed the trail and helped to build America. In their historical exhibit, you'll walk with the pioneers over the Oregon Trail. Watch a rider switch horses at a Pony Express station. Hear Mark Twain's account of a cross-country stagecoach ride. Relive the driving of the Golden Spike that united the nation's railroads. And, visit a travelers' campground on "America's Main Street," the Lincoln Highway. You can spend as little as an hour or a whole afternoon at the Archway. Purchase tickets here.

Drive from Kearney, NE to Chimney Rock, NE (4 hours)

Chimney Rock Museum | History Nebraska (arrive around 3 p.m.) - Designated the Chimney Rock National Historic Site, Chimney Rock is one of the most famous and recognizable landmarks for pioneer travelers on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, a symbol of the great western migration. Located approximately four miles south of present-day Bayard, at the south edge of the North Platte River Valley, Chimney Rock is a natural geologic formation, a remnant of the erosion of the bluffs at the edge of the North Platte Valley. A slender spire rises 325 feet from a conical base. 

Courthouse Rock (arrive around 4 p.m.) - Located near present-day Bridgeport, the Courthouse and Jail Rocks are the erosional remnants of an ancient plateau that bisected the North Platte River. The rocks sit at over 4,050 feet above sea level and rise more than 240 feet above nearby Pumpkin Creek. Like Chimney Rock, these rock structures have long been recognized by pioneers as prominent landmarks on the transcontinental journey west.  The Courthouse and Jail Rocks were the first monumental rock features that emigrants would encounter heading west.  The rocks also served as an important crossroads, where two major trunks of the Oregon and California Overland trails merged.

Day Two - Aug 23

Scottsbluff, NE to Casper, WY

Drive from Scottsbluff, NE to Fort Laramie, WY (1 hour)

Fort Laramie National Historic Site & Fort Laramie: Exhibit CyArk (arrive by 10:30 a.m.) - Originally established as a private fur trading fort in 1834, Fort Laramie evolved into the largest and best known military post on the Northern Plains before its abandonment in 1890. This “grand old post” witnessed the entire sweeping saga of America’s western expansion and Indian resistance to encroachment on their territories.

Drive from Fort Laramie, WY to Casper, WY (1 hour and 45 minutes)

National Historic Trails Center (arrive by 4 p.m.) - The National Historic Trails Center provides visitors with valuable and interesting information about the Oregon, California, Mormon and Pony-Express Trails. When visiting the center, guests can explore the various exhibits or attend one of the programs to learn more about the history of these emigrant trails.

Dutch Oven Evening Trek | Historic Trails West | Casper (starts at 5 p.m.) - Experience the true spirit of the trail as you spend the evening on this inspiring wild west dinner adventure! Travel aboard our Covered Wagons or ride Horseback on the actual historic trails just like the pioneer, 49er, Pony Express Rider and others! Feel yourself swallowed up by the 4 to 6 ft. deep ruts carved out by 500,000 westward travelers and feel the exhilaration, just as they did, as you descend Rough Lock Hill. This journey is a window into the incredible story of these pioneers and the struggles they faced. 

Day Three - Aug 24

Casper, WY to Fort Hall, ID

Drive from Casper, WY to South Pass Continental Divide (3 hours)

South Pass - California National Historic Trail (US National Park Service) (arrive around 9 a.m.) - South Pass was perhaps the most important landmark along the emigrant trails. It marked the end of the long ascent to the Continental Divide and the emigrants' arrival at the frontier of the Oregon country. It was also thought to be the halfway point along the trail. South Pass dictated the location of the emigrant trail, for only via its gradual ascent was wagon travel over the Continental Divide practical for large-scale emigration. South Pass is the wide, flat summit of a long and gradually ascending plateau, with low ridges and hills on both sides and a wide sage and grass-covered saddle between. Many emigrants commented that they scarcely noticed the ascent or the crossing.

Drive from South Pass Continental Divide to Montpelier, ID (3 hours)

National Oregon / California Trail Center - Visit Idaho (arrive around 2 p.m.) - The Center offers visitors a unique and entertaining interpretive indoor adventure; simulating an actual wagon train experience of the 1850s. Re-enacted entirely within the center, this interpretive experience features historically accurate interpretive areas and live actors. Take a stroll back in time to visit a gun shop and a mercantile or ride in a covered wagon and spend time around the evening encircled wagon train at the Clover Creek Encampment.

Drive from Montpelier, ID to Fort Hall, ID (1 hour and 30 minutes)

Drive from Fort Hall, ID to Three Island Crossing State Park, ID (2 hours and 30 minutes)

Three Island Crossing State Park - Visit Idaho (arrive around Noon) - Modern travelers will find a stay at Three Island Crossing much more hospitable than did the 19th century Oregon Trail pioneers who crossed the mighty Snake River at this location. Take a self-guided tour of the park and see the original wagon ruts and Conestoga replicas, visit the Oregon Trail History and Education Center to learn more about pioneers, early settlers and Native American history, dangle your feet or a line in the Snake River where emigrants made their historic crossings or sit under a tree and enjoy a picnic lunch.

Drive from Three Island Crossing State Park, ID to Boise, ID (1 hour)

The Basque Market (arrive around 3 p.m.) - The Basque Market was established on the Basque Block in Downtown Boise, Idaho in December 2000. They are well-known for their Basque catering, including their large paellas (sometimes for 800 people or more!) for conferences, parties, weddings, anniversaries, and other events. Rain, snow, or shine, they prepare a paella from start to finish on their patio. It’s served at noon on Wednesdays and Fridays. Join them early on the Basque Block to watch it being prepared, and enjoy some pintxos/tapas, yummy bites of croquetas, a glass of wine, or our frozen white sangria! Hungry for something else? They have a delicious menu of modestly-sized pintxos/tapas, great for sharing, available all the time. Are you looking for a special gift, wine, or your own cooking items? Shop at the Market! It’s an international adventure all by itself!

Drive from Boise, ID to Pendleton, OR (3 hours and 30 minutes)

Drive from Pendleton, OR to Government Camp, OR (3 hours)

Government Camp, OR (arrive around 10 a.m.) - The Mt. Hood Cultural Center & Museum (MHCCM) is located in the beautiful mountain village of Government Camp in Oregon. Its mission statement reads, “The Mt. Hood Cultural Center & Museum strengthens community, fosters arts and letters, and protects, stabilizes and showcases all aspects of the history of Mount Hood. With interpretive exhibits, educational programming, and the arts, the Museum promotes an understanding of our shared history and challenges for our future.” The Museum includes early exploration, pioneer history, natural history, forestry and the rich history of mountaineering, skiing, and the remarkable individuals that helped shape the history of the mountain. MHCCM is the conservator of the mountain and its people.

Drive from Government Camp, OR to Silver Falls State Park, OR (2 hours)

Silver Falls State Park (arrive around 2 p.m.) - Where else can you walk behind a waterfall? Check out the famous South Falls and see what a 177-foot curtain of water looks like from behind. It’s part of the Trail of Ten Falls, a spectacular, nationally recognized hiking trail that weaves through a dense forested landscape. The trail passes a series of breathtaking waterfalls along a rocky canyon, and descends to a winding creek at the forest floor.

We’ll be meeting at the Creekside Shelter (thanks Michael for reserving!).

Drive from Silver Falls State Park, OR to Wilsonville, OR (1 hour)

Carabella Vineyard (arrive around 6 p.m.) - Cara and Mike have invited us to join them for a dinner at Carabella Vineyard.

Drive from Wilsonville, OR to Portland, OR (30 minutes)