Oregon Trail: Central Wyoming

Explore several key landmarks and resources along the Oregon Trail in Central Wyoming. Start your journey on a frosty and blustery South Pass. Westbound wagon trains used South Pass to cross the Continental Divide at its lowest point in the Rocky Mountains. From there, head down to Ice Slough, a unique marshy area where emigrants could get ice year round. While the slough was obviously frozen over during my February visit, you can still find ice in the summertime about 1 to 2 feet below ground. End the day at Split Rock, a unique cleft in the Rattlesnake Mountains that stands out like a sore thumb. Making it a very popular navigation landmark for settlers heading west.