Oregon Trail Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
historic migration route spanning Independence, MO–Oregon City, OR
About Oregon Trail
The Louisiana Purchase and theLewis and Clark Expeditionopened the Northwest for white settlement, and marked the beginning of theWild Westera. The "mountain men" and fur traders who traveled upstream in the early 19th century were few. The first known mountain passes were barely adequate for a horse and rider. As better routes were found, wagon trails gradually were built westward, laying the groundwork for theGreat Migration of 1843. Nearly a thousand settlers crossed theRocky Mountainsin that single year. The Organic Act of the Oregon Territory (1843) granted 640 acres (a square mile, 2.56 km²) of free homestead land per couple in the vast Oregon Territory, which covered what is nowWashington state,Oregon,Idahoand parts ofWyomingandMontana. The weakened position ofsouthern statesduring
Oregon Trail Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 7 sections including: