World of Embassy

California National Historic Trail

The California Trail carried over 250,000 gold-seekers and farmers to the gold fields and rich farmlands of California during the 1840's and 1850's, the greatest mass migration in American history. Today, more than 1,000 miles of trail ruts and traces can still be seen in the vast undeveloped lands between Casper Wyoming and the West Coast, reminders of the sacrifices, struggles, and triumphs of early American travelers and settlers. More than 240 historic sites along the trail will eventually be available for public use and interpretation.

ACCESSIBILITY :-

For information on the accessibility of facilities along the California Trail, contact the local site administrator or the appropriate state tourism office.

History & Culture :-
The elephant that emigrants on the California Trail joked about was a common metaphor for the difficulty of their journey. If you had "seen the elephant", then you had hit some hard traveling. And if you wanted to get to California in pre-railroad times, you were guaranteed an arduous trek. California emigrants faced the greatest challenges of all the pioneer emigrants of the mid-19th century. In addition to the Rockies, these emigrants faced the barren deserts of Nevada and the imposing Sierra Nevada Range. With a variety of destinations in California, and jumping-off points in Missouri, the California Trail resembles not a single cord, but a rope frayed at both ends. Numerous cutoffs and alternate routes were tried to see which was the "best" in terms of terrain, length and sufficient water and grass for livestock.

PLAN YOUR VISIT :-

Operating Hours & Seasons :- Local brochures and guides are generally available at each trail site. An Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide, in Acrobat Reader PDF format, can be downloaded for the Western Missouri and Northeastern Kansas region. Click on the "Maps" link to the left for a list of available maps and guides that are online.
Entrance and parking fees may be charged at some locations and hours vary at the discretion of the site administrator. Large groups are encouraged to make prior arrangements for tours, where available. Please respect private property by staying in public areas, and help protect our national heritage by leaving trail resources undisturbed.