A wagon swale is cut deep into limestone rock with trees in background.
The Guernsey Ruts in Wyoming feature deeply eroded rock from wagon traffic. NPS photo

Oregon National Historic Trail

Federal Recreation Area · Idaho · National Park Service

Imagine yourself an emigrant headed for Oregon: would promises of lush farmlands and a new beginning lure you to leave home and walk for weeks? More than 2,000 miles of trail ruts and traces can still be seen along the Oregon National Historic Trail in six states and serve as reminders of the sacrifices, struggles, and triumphs of early American settlers.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Highlights: African American Heritage · Arts · Photography · Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite · Colonization and Settlement · Explorers and Expeditions · Forts · Monuments and Memorials · Native American Heritage · Wars and Conflicts · Westward Expansion · Rock Landscapes and Features · Trails

Activities & features: Auto and ATV · Scenic Driving · Guided Tours · Self-Guided Tours - Auto · Hiking · Horse Trekking · Horseback Riding · Junior Ranger Program · Museum Exhibits

Photos

  • A rock buttress with a notch in it surrounded by sagebrush flats.
    NPS Photo
  • An exhibit with an illustration in front of green trees and a rock ledge.
    NPS Photo
  • A large yellow flowering desert shrub in front of sagebrush and a large rock buttress.
    NPS Photo
  • Two people walk on a green lawn in front of historic fort buildings.
    NPS photo

Nearby parks

Parks of Idaho

McCroskey State ParkCoeur d Alene s Old Mission State ParkFarragut State ParkEagle Island State ParkPonderosa State ParkLand of the Yankee Fork State ParkPriest Lake State ParkHagerman Fossil Beds National MonumentRound Lake State ParkHells Gate State ParkCity Of Rocks National ReserveMassacre Rocks State ParkMinidoka National Historic SiteLake Walcott State ParkBear Lake State ParkNez Perce National Historical ParkLucky Peak State ParkWinchester Lake State ParkHenrys Lake State ParkHeyburn State ParkCastle Rocks State ParkThree Island Crossing State ParkCraters Of The Moon National Monument & PreserveThousand Springs State ParkLake Cascade State ParkHarriman State ParkDworshak State ParkBruneau Dunes State Park

29 parks mapped in Idaho

You're looking at Oregon National Historic Trail — the gold marker.

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Sources: National Park Service · updated 2026-08-12