The Oregon Trail

After crossing the Mississippi, the journey across Iowa followed primitive roads and Indian trails. On reaching Kanesville the emigrants established a settlement.
Others went to Omaha, Nebraska building a winter camp there.

The weather, general unprepared ness, and lack off experience in moving so many people, all contributed to the difficulties they endured. Future companies of Mormons used the lessons learned crossing Iowa.

The largest leg of the journey began from Omaha, Nebraska on April 5, 1847, across the Great Plains, and hundreds of miles on the north side of the Platte River. At Fort Laramie, Wyoming the Mormons joined the Oregon Trail. They followed this for a hundred miles and crossing the Continental Divide at South Pass. At Fort Bridger, they left the Oregon Trail and struck out on their own. They blazed two different routes into the Salt Lake Valley. The final 116 miles were the most difficult.

The people were weary, weakened by almost 1,000 miles of walking, their wagons worn and twisted,

From 1846 to 1869 more than 70,000 Mormons traveled the road west along The Mormon Pioneer Trail.

• The Dominguez-Escalante Expeditions Journal:

Through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico in 1776

• I Walked to Zion:
- Young Pioneers on the Mormon Trail

• The Gathering of Zion:
- The Story of the Mormon Trail

• National Geographic's Guide to:
- Lewis and Clark Trail

• Hiking Historic Trails
- Utah's Favorite Hiking Trails

• Scenic Driving - Travel guides
- Scenic Driving in Utah

• Historical reading
- The Old Spanish Trail

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