Nebraska's place on the Oregon Trail is well known, but there is one part that faded into near-obscurity even while the trail was still in use by travelers.
In the days of westward expansion, difficult terrain like the Wildcat Hills in western Nebraska could mean significant challenges for emigrants.
Robidoux Pass is a natural gap through the rough terrain of the Wildcat Hills, eight miles west of Gering.
The pass was used by westward migrants from 1843-1851. At the time, it was the only way for wagon trains to travel through the rough, rocky area. It required a 30-mile southward detour from the trail, though, which was understandably inconvenient to travelers.
In the 1840s, the Robidoux family operated a trading post near the gap, providing products, services, and a much-needed place of rest for travelers on the trail.
The actual trading post was lost to time, but a replica was erected in 1993 and today provides a faithful representation of what the important stop was like for the travelers.
You can visit the reconstructed trading post today by following Carter Canyon Road west from Gering. The monument is on private property, but visitors are welcome as long as they are respectful of the monument and property owners.
Inside you'll find artifacts representing the types of products that would have been sold to pioneers at this trading post along the trail.
Nearby you'll also see some of the very few marked graves along the Oregon Trail. Look closely and you'll see ruts in the ground left by the hundreds of migrant wagons that passed through this area. Then, continue traveling west on the gravel road to drive through the actual historic pass through the rocky land.
Eventually, Robidoux Pass was abandoned in favor of the newly-cleared Mitchell Pass to the north. The newer pass didn't require a long detour so was clearly the preferable route westward. Robidoux Pass remained an important part of Oregon Trail and Nebraska history, however, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961.
Get there by taking Carter Canyon Road west from Gering. The road is gravel and a bit rough, and it's recommended that you drive slowly and avoid the road during heavy rain. There may also be rattlesnakes in the area of the monument; be aware of your surroundings to avoid an unpleasant run-in. Please keep in mind that the monument is on private property, so take care to leave the place exactly as you found it.
While you're in the area, visit the iconic Scotts Bluff Monument for even more fascinating western Nebraska history. Read all about it right here.
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