The Oregon Trail Tour that Belongs On Your Oregon Bucket List
By Sarah McCosham|Published May 17, 2022
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Oregon’s pioneer roots are an inextricable part of our state’s identity, and the eponymous Oregon Trail played a huge role in shaping the Beaver State as we know it today. In Oregon, there are numerous places where intrepid explorers can literally follow the infamous wagon trail’s route, gaining invaluable insight and perspective along the way. Offering a wholly immersive experience, the Oregon Trail Auto Trail is easily the most accessible way to experience the historic route. Clocking in around 400 miles and six hours of drive time, the Oregon stretch of this route absolutely belongs on your bucket list.
More than 200 years ago, as Westward expansion ramped up, folks felt an undeniable pull out West.
Whether venturing West for job opportunities, dreams of a better life, or new adventures, those on the Oregon Trail all had one thing in common: an indefatigable pioneer spirit.
And thus began the Oregon Trail, a 2,170-mile wagon route from Missouri to Oregon's Willamette Valley, a journey that would go down in history as one of the most tragic and dangerous ventures in American history.
Today, folks can experience the Oregon Trail in numerous ways, from the eponymous Oregon Trail Interpretive Park and other museums, to various trails, historic sites, and even an Auto Tour. We're partial to this last option.
In a driving route that leads from the Northeastern edge of Oregon, all the way to the trail's terminus, attractions and points of interest abound on this driving tour through the Beaver State.
The Oregon portion of the Auto Tour spans roughly 400 miles and takes just over six hours to complete. Sounds arduous, right? Just imagine how Oregon's earliest pioneers felt, as the entire journey took as long as six months, start to finish.
A 400-mile road trip through Oregon doesn't sound so daunting anymore, right?
Two important Eastern Oregon towns along the route are La Grande, the largest community within the Grande River Valley, and Baker City, which is home to the aforementioned National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, as well as a myriad of other museums.
Over on the other side of the state in The Dalles, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum is another place that's not only part of the Oregon Trail and route taken by Lewis and Clark, it's also home to one of the oldest continuously occupied places in North America that's more than 11,000 years old.
The Oregon Trail is one of the most legendary events in our country's history, and the Beaver State was the promised land waiting at the end. Today, the Auto Tour of the Oregon Trail is one of those bucket-list adventures we think everyone ought to take.
