Red cliffs line a highway as seen from a high point with grass in the foreground.
Echo Canyon on the way from Wyoming to Salt Lake City, Utah is both beautiful and historic. NPS photo

Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail

Federal Recreation Area · Illinois · National Park Service

Explore the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail across five states to see the 1,300-mile route traveled by Mormons who fled Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1846-1847.

Plan your visit

Trails & hiking

Hiking · Horseback Riding

Know before you go

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

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

Things to do

Highlights: African American Heritage · Archeology · Ruins · Arts · Photography · Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite · Colonization and Settlement · Explorers and Expeditions · Forts · Monuments and Memorials · Religion and Spirituality · Westward Expansion · Rock Landscapes and Features · Trails

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

Photos

  • A bronze plaque with description on a metal fence surrounding Brigham Young's grave.
    NPS photo
  • Red rock monolith in a rocky canyon
    NPS Photo
  • A large, white, two-story historic wood home with a red roof and white picket fence.
    NPS Photo
  • A hiking trail with a trail sign.
    NPS Photo

Nearby parks

Parks of Illinois

Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State ParkLowden State ParkGoose Lake Prairie State Natural AreaLake Murphysboro State ParkWashington County State Recreation AreaGebhard Woods State ParkWilliam G. Stratton State ParkCastle Rock State ParkRandolph County State Recreation AreaBeaver Dam State ParkMatthiessen State ParkFort Defiance State ParkSiloam Springs State ParkPullman National Historical ParkGiant City State ParkHidden Springs State ForestFox Ridge State ParkEldon Hazlet State Recreation AreaChain O' Lakes State ParkCache River State Natural AreaSielbeck Forest State Natural AreaLincoln Trail State ParkMoraine View State ParkDelabar State ParkSpitler Woods State Natural AreaPyramid State Recreation AreaCave-in-Rock State ParkLincoln Home National Historic SiteRed Hills State ParkSpringfield 1908 Race Riot National MonumentApple River Canyon State ParkLake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation AreaJubilee College State ParkWeldon Springs State ParkJohnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation AreaKankakee River State ParkEdward R. Madigan State ParkStarved Rock State ParkPere Marquette State ParkFranklin Creek State Natural AreaRamsey Lake State Recreation AreaShabbona Lake State Recreation AreaBig River State ForestBeall Woods State ParkFort Massac State ParkNew Philadelphia National Historic SiteChannahon State ParkProphetstown State ParkFrank Holten State ParkArgyle Lake State ParkFerne Clyffe State ParkRock Island Trail State ParkWhite Pines Forest State ParkSand Ridge State ForestWolf Creek State ParkPiney Creek Ravine State Natural AreaRock Cut State ParkLincoln Trail Homestead State Park & MemorialBuffalo Rock State ParkIllini State ParkKickapoo State Recreation Area

62 parks mapped in Illinois

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Guides for the trip

All guides →

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