Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site is a preserved site of wagon ruts of the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what is now the state of Kans ...

on the

North Platte River The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long, counting its many curves.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 21, 2011 In a ...

, about 0.5 miles south of

Guernsey, Wyoming Guernsey is a town in Platte County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,147 at the 2010 census. The town was named for C. A. Guernsey, a cattle rancher. Geography Guernsey is located at (42.267251, −104.743187). According to the U ...

. The Oregon Trail here was winding up towards South Pass. Here, wagon wheels, draft animals, and people wore down the trail into a sandstone ridge about two to six feet, during its heavy usage from 1841–1869. The half-mile stretch is "unsurpassed" and is the best-preserved set of Oregon Trail ruts anywhere along its former length. The site is maintained as a state historic site, and was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

and added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1966.

History

The trail was first recorded in 1812, when Robert Stuart and six others came through here heading east from

Fort Astoria Fort Astoria (also named Fort George) was the primary fur trading post of John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company (PFC). A maritime contingent of PFC staff was sent on board the ''Tonquin (1807 ship), Tonquin'', while another party traveled overl ...

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

. Traders, trappers, and missionaries used this route before 1841 when the

Bartleson–Bidwell Party In 1841, the Bartleson–Bidwell Party, led by Captain John Bartleson and John Bidwell, became the first American emigrants to attempt a wagon crossing from Missouri to California. Beginnings In the winter of 1840, the Western Emigration Society wa ...

became the first wagon train across the trail. The number of emigrants grew from 100 plus in 1842 to over 900 in 1843. With the completion of the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

in 1869, use of the trail as an overland route to the Pacific rapidly declined, although sections of it continued to be used locally for many years.

Site

The trail ruts are long and are worn into a sandstone ridge. The route was chosen to avoid the marshy ground along the river. It is located on the south side of the

, south of the town of Guernsey.

References

External links

Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site
Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails
Oregon Trail Ruts National Historic Landmark
at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office {{Protected areas of Wyoming National Historic Landmarks in Wyoming Oregon Trail California Trail Protected areas of Platte County, Wyoming Wyoming state historic sites Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Wyoming National Register of Historic Places in Platte County, Wyoming