Think about it…The Trail brought many pioneers west looking to start a new life. As we walked along the Trail we talked about the many lives that were changed because of this “road”. How scary it must have been to “head west” with little or no knowledge of what lie ahead.

How brave were these folks? Could we do this today? We think this could define “The American Spirit” some of us seek every day.

Each of these folks… every man, woman and child had a story, both from their “old life” and then a new story waiting to be written. How many were born on the Trail and sadly, how many were lost on that same Trail? Most of that is probably lost to history.

First “walked” in the 1810’s-1830’s by mountain men involved in the fur trade, then widely publicized
by the 1840’s, it drew thousands west. Some seeking their fortunes in the mines, many were
farmers looking for fertile lands of the Oregon valleys and a better life for their families.

The Trail was approximately 2170 miles and stretched from Independence Missouri out to the valleys
of Western Oregon. The Trail was also know by the moniker The Emigrant Trail due to the nature of the “migration” of peoples west. It is estimated that approximately 400,000 folks made the long trek west
between 1840-1860 ish.

We are camping in Baker City, OR right near a piece of the Trail. Located here is a National Park Interpretive Center; but unfortunately they were closed for a remodel. We were although able to have access to the trails surrounding the center so below are some pictures and videos of the Trail.

If you want to learn more about the Oregon Trail, check out the link below…

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oregon-Trail

Also below is a few pictures of Downtown Bakers City and a video of our Campground. Enjoy :))

The Oregon Trail

A little of Downtown Baker City