These Idaho sites bring the Oregon Trail to life today
From wagon ruts to river crossings, Idaho offers some of the most well-preserved sites along the historic Oregon Trail.
Nathan DillerThe roughly 2,000-mile Oregon Trail stretched from Missouri to Oregon in the 1800s, including 500 miles in Idaho alone.
By 1846, thousands of emigrants “drawn west by cheap land, patriotism or the promise of a better life found their way to Oregon Country,” which included part of Idaho, along with Oregon and Washington, according to the National Park Service (though Native Americans had long traveled it).
“The route of the Oregon Trail in Idaho largely followed the Bear River Valley and the Snake River in southern Idaho before heading north through what is now the Boise area and into Oregon,” Visit Idaho’s website reads.
Location
Idaho
What to see today
Idaho visitors have many ways to learn about the trail’s history. Those include sites like Bonneville Point – where emigrants got their first glimpse of the Boise River Valley and trail ruts can be seen – and Three Island Crossing State Park, named for the most crucial and challenging river crossing in the state. Modern travelers will find an education center, interpretive trails and campground, per NPS.
Ask a local
“Many Idaho locales reflect this time in history: the city of Pocatello is named for the Northwestern Shoshone chief, the town of Fort Hall bears the name of an important trading post and the town of Glenns Ferry developed around the site of a ferry launch that helped pioneers cross the Snake River,” Visit Idaho said.
Montpelier’s National Oregon/California Trail Center also offers a wagon train experience, simulating the experience of 1850s travelers.
Plan your visit
- Best time: Weather can vary along the Oregon National Historic Trail, so consult local forecasts. Spring and summer are “some of the best times for a vacation in Idaho” with a range of outdoor activities, according to Visit Idaho (though temperatures cool off in the fall).
- Hours/admission: The trail is open 24 hours per day, though NPS advised contacting individual sites to confirm operating hours since it “passes through communities, urban areas, public lands and Wilderness.”
- Getting there: Many sites are “along or near U.S. Route 30,” according to Visit Idaho. NPS has an interactive map of the whole trail on its website.
- Learn more: https://www.nps.gov/oreg/index.htm