A Woman's Perspective of Life on the Oregon Trail - True West Magazine

As hopeful travelers set out on their journey across the overland trails, they saw landmarks which lived in their memories for the rest of their lives.

Imagine embarking on a journey spanning 2,000 grueling miles, filled with treacherous river crossings, food rationing, relentless weather, and the constant threat of disease. Welcome to the life of a pioneer on the Oregon Trail!

Packing for Four Months on the Oregon Trail I have to admit, packing for any type of trip is one of my least favorite past times. Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel. I just dislike the packing process, and don’t even get me started on unpacking. I’ve been known to go for weeks ... Read more

Packing could mean the difference between life and death on the trail and varied wildly depending upon sensibilities.

I read an article about being able to still see, feel and walk in the tracks of the Oregon Trail, so naturally I plotted out when and where I might come across these curiosities. On our way home fr…

In the year 1836, the first wagon train set off from Independence, Missouri, heading west. That wagon train followed the Oregon Trail, a route laid down by fur trappers and traders just 20 years before. This was the first wagon train to set off on the 2,170-mile route. And it…

Check out nine surprising facts about the route that once served as the gateway to the American West.

The Donner Party famously took the Hastings Cutoff - a trail through Utah - that cost them an extra month of travel.