6 ideas
Follow the many routes used by westbound emigrants seeking new lives and gold. Trail ruts, desert crossings and interpretation reveal both the difficult journeys and their consequences for Native peoples.
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Explore the extended expedition corridor from the Ohio River to the Pacific. River overlooks, tribal museums and interpretive centers reveal a journey made possible by existing Native knowledge and trade networks.
Discover the story →Discover the early coast-to-coast highway through town centers, road markers and surviving alignments. The route changed over time, so the pleasure lies in exploring selected sections and the communities they connected.
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Trace the nineteenth-century migration from Nauvoo toward the Salt Lake Valley. Interpretive places tell stories of faith, displacement, wagon travel and the hardships endured by some handcart companies.
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Trace overland migration through river valleys, prairie and mountain passes. Surviving ruts and interpretive centers connect personal stories with the profound changes migration brought to Native homelands.
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Follow the short-lived horse-relay mail system across the West. Restored stations, museums and desert landscapes make the distance and effort of carrying news feel tangible.
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