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General Recommendations
The Oregon Trails Coordinating Council recommends that Oregonians move forward with the Oregon Historic Trails Program. The Oregon Historic Trails Program can produce an array of benefits for Oregon's economy and its citizens. The opportunity to realize these benefits will depend on the entities that have the authority to act and are willing to collaborate on the program's behalf: land management agencies, government commissions, heritage organizations, and tourism associations. Fully implemented, a statewide historic trails program will provide a number of benefits, including:
- a system of historic trails developed for their educational recreational, and economic values;
- a network of quality cultural heritage tourism projects that are historically accurate and consistent in design;
- a foundation for a consistent cultural heritage tourism marketing package uniting all of Oregon and encouraging exploration along trail corridors;
- increased economic opportunity and economic diversity for rural Oregon communities; and
- a statewide historic trails system in place for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial.
In 1998, the Oregon Trail Advisory Council recognized the 1993 Oregon Trail Sesquicentennial as the impetus to preserve and develop the Oregon Trail for economic and cultural benefit to the state. The Bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery Expedition in 2003-2006 continues the momentum and expands the benefits. As the nation's focus turns to Oregon and the terminus of the Lewis and Clark Trail, there is a remarkable opportunity to shape the commemoration of a single national historic trail into a statewide celebration. All regions of the state will benefit by the implementation and promotion of the statewide Oregon Historic Trails Program, inviting Oregonians and visitors alike to explore all of Oregon's historic routes.
Beyond the one-time opportunity offered by the Bicentennial, a statewide historic trails program merits the attention and commitment of Oregonians. Our trails are our history and our care for the trails, and other heritage resources, will preserve Oregon for the future. We have both an opportunity and an obligation to preserve and interpret the state's historic sites and stories for present and future generations. The Oregon Historic Trails Program provides us with the framework to link people and places, to unite the state in a common effort, and to encourage exploration of Oregon's special places.
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Existing Interpretive Resources
SITE: Hat Rock State Park
LOCATION: US 730 east of Umatilla
DESCRIPTION: Historical marker at southern picnic area
SUBJECT/TITLE: Lewis and Clark at Hat Rock (sign indicates that the party climbed to the top -- a factual error)
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department/Travel Information Council
SITE: Hat Rock State Park
LOCATION: US 730 east of Umatilla
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: Local geology, naming of Hat Rock, and contact with the Indians
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
SITE: McNary Dam Overlook
LOCATION: US 730 east of Umatilla at McNary Dam Overlook and Picnic Area
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: Descending the river, bartering for horses, and mountain views
OWNER: Department of Defense US Army Corps of Engineers
SITE: Irrigon City Park
LOCATION: Irrigon
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: Signs of Euro-American trade, the river as artery of commerce, and visit with local Indians
OWNER: City of Irrigon
SITE: Celilo Park
LOCATION: I-84 east of The Dalles
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: Fishery at Celilo Falls, fish preservation, and the scarcity of firewood
OWNER: US Army Corps of Engineers
SITE: Celilo Park
LOCATION: I-84 east of The Dalles
DESCRIPTION: Bronze plaque
SUBJECT/TITLE:
OWNER: Department of Defense US Army Corps of Engineers
SITE: Rock Fort
LOCATION: City of The Dalles industrial area (several directional signs exist)
DESCRIPTION: Bronze plaque
SUBJECT/TITLE: Camp site
OWNER: City of The Dalles
SITE: Rock Fort
LOCATION: City of The Dalles industrial area (several directional signs exist)
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: Need for vigilance, the campsite, the presence of seals, dining on dogs
OWNER: City of The Dalles
SITE: Downtown
LOCATION: The Dalles -- Second and Federal Street
DESCRIPTION: Wall murals
SUBJECT/TITLE: Lewis and Clark at Rock Fort/Celilo: The Great Falls of the Columbia
OWNER: The Dalles Mural Society
SITE: Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Wasco County Historical Museum
LOCATION: The Dalles
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive Center and Museum exhibit
SUBJECT/TITLE: Lewis and Clark
OWNER: Crate's Point, Inc.
SITE: Bonneville Dam Visitor Center
LOCATION: Cascade Locks
DESCRIPTION: Exhibit
SUBJECT/TITLE: Lewis and Clark on the Columbia River
OWNER: Department of Defense US Army Corps of Engineers
SITE: Lewis and Clark State Park
LOCATION: Troutdale
DESCRIPTION: Botanical trail
SUBJECT/TITLE: Plant materials described in the journals
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
SITE: Oregon History Center/Sovereign Building
LOCATION: Portland
DESCRIPTION: Wall mural
SUBJECT/TITLE: Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery
OWNER: Oregon History Center
SITE: William Clark, York, and a native resident
LOCATION: University of Portland campus
DESCRIPTION: Bronze statue
SUBJECT/TITLE: Commemorative
OWNER: University of Portland
SITE: Sacagawea statue
LOCATION: Washington Park in Portland
DESCRIPTION: Bronze statue
SUBJECT/TITLE: Commemorative
OWNER: City of Portland
SITE: Lewis and Clark Columbia River Water Trail
LOCATION: From Portland to Fort Clatsop along the Columbia River
DESCRIPTION: 96-mile-long system of 23 sites including day and overnight parks for canoeists, kayakers, and operators of shallow-draft vessels
SUBJECT/TITLE: The route traces the final stages of Lewis and Clark's route
OWNER: Public/private
SITE: Bybee-Howell House
LOCATION: Sauvie Island
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive pavilion and educational facility
SUBJECT/TITLE: Lewis and Clark's explorations at the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers
OWNER: Oregon History Center/Multnomah County/Metro
SITE: Prescott Beach County Park
LOCATION: US 30 east of Ranier
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: Evidence of the great Pacific Flyway, homeland of the Upper Chinookans, and plants and animals new to science
OWNER: Columbia County
SITE: Columbia County Historical Museum
LOCATION: Vernonia
DESCRIPTION: Exhibit
SUBJECT/TITLE: Lewis and Clark in Columbia County
OWNER: Columbia County Historical Museum
SITE: Twilight Creek Eagle Sanctuary
LOCATION: US 30 between Svenson and Fern Hill
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: Evidence of the great Pacific Flyway, and plants and animals new to science
OWNER: Clatsop County/Twilight Eagle Coalition
SITE: Astoria Waterfront
LOCATION: Sixth Street riverfront access or Eleventh Street access (as of February 1998, both are under consideration as potential sites; only one will be chosen)
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: Clatsop and Chinook lifeways, and the Expedition's trials and tribulations
OWNER: City of Astoria
SITE: Astoria Column
LOCATION: Coxcomb Hill
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: Discovery of the California Condor, the role of the condor in Clatsop oral tradition, and view of three campsites
OWNER: City of Astoria
SITE: Astoria Column
LOCATION: Coxcomb Hill
DESCRIPTION: Historical column
SUBJECT/TITLE: Astoria's history
OWNER: City of Astoria
SITE: Young's River Falls
LOCATION: 8 miles east on OR 202; right at Olney Store
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: The quest for food, discovery of the falls, and a diet of blubber, dog, and elk
OWNER: Clatsop County
SITE: Carruthers Park
LOCATION: Warrenton
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: The vote on where to spend the winter -- its significance, and the consequences of contact between Indians and Euro-Americans
OWNER: City of Warrenton
SITE: Fort Stevens State Park
LOCATION: Warrenton
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: Indian use of forest products, journal descriptions of Indian lodges, and the replica long house
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
SITE: Fort Clatsop National Memorial
LOCATION: Astoria
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive center/recreated fort site/living history/canoe landing site/land trail to the Pacific/wayside exhibits and education programs
SUBJECT/TITLE: (Interpretive sign at Canoe Landing) Seaworthiness of Indian canoes, the skill of local Indians, and journal descriptions of canoe
OWNER: USDI National Park Service
SITE: Seltzer Park
LOCATION: Seaside
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: Sacagawea's visit to the seashore, myths regarding her role in the expedition, and the trek over Tillamook Head
OWNER: City of Seaside
SITE: Ecola State Park
LOCATION: Cannon Beach
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive sign and hiking trail
SUBJECT/TITLE: Purchasing whale blubber
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
SITE: Shirley Park
LOCATION: Cannon Beach
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive panels: one is a USDI National Park Service-produced orientation panel and the other is locally significant
SUBJECT/TITLE: Investigating the beached whale, bartering with local Indians for oil and blubber, and the quest for salt
OWNER: City of Cannon Beach
Corridor Resources
Corridor Description: US 730 from the Washington state line through Umatilla and Irrigon to I-84; west on I-84 to Portland; US 30 from Portland to Astoria; US 101 from Astoria to Cannon Beach.
Umatilla City Historical Society Museum, Umatilla
Umatilla County Historical Museum (Pendleton)
McNary Dam Visitor Center, Umatilla
Deschutes River State Recreation Area
Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, The Dalles
The Dalles Dam Visitor Center, The Dalles
Fort Dalles, The Dalles
Bonneville Dam Visitor Center, Cascade Locks
Multnomah Falls
Oregon History Center, Portland
St. Helens Museum and Courthouse, St. Helens
Caples House Museum, Columbia City
Columbia County Historical Society, Vernonia
Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge
Clatsop County Historical Society Heritage Museum, Astoria
Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria
Sunset Beach, Camp Rilea
Historical Markers and Interpretive Signs
Deschutes River State Recreation Area
Ancient fishing grounds, Celilo Falls
Memaloose Island, west of The Dalles
Hood River
Broughton's Expedition, Tunnel Point
Beacon Rock, Warrendale
Cascade Locks
Lewis and Clark Expedition, Sandy
Sandy River Bridge, Sandy
Troutdale
Thomas McKay, Scappose
US Customs House, Astoria
Ecola, Cannon Beach
State Parks
Hat Rock SP
Heritage Landing SP
East Mayer SP
Mayer SP
Memaloose SP
Koberg Beach Wayside
Seneca Falls SP
V. Lausmann SP
Wygant SP
Viento SP
Starvation Creek SP
John B. Yeon SP
Ainsworth SP
Benson SP
Bridal Veil Falls SP
Shepperds Dell SP
Guy Talbot SP
Rooster Rock SP
Crown Point SP
Portland Women's Forum SP
Dabney SP
Lewis and Clark SP
Bradley Wayside
Fort Stevens SP
Del Rey Beach Wayside
Ecola SP
Saddle Mountain SP
Partners and Players
- Federal and National
- USDI National Park Service - Fort Clatsop National Memorial
- USDI NPS - Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- USDD Army Corps of Engineers
- Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc.
- Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council
- Tribal
- Nez Perce Tribe
- Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs of Oregon
- River People
- Chinook Tribe
- State
- Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- Oregon Department of Transportation
- Oregon Tourism Commission
- Travel Information Council
- Oregon Historical Society
- Regional and Local
- certified local governments
- local historical societies
- local chambers of commerce
- regional visitor associations and tourism organizations
- City of Irrigon
- City of The Dalles
- North Wasco County Parks and Recreation
- Columbia County Parks
- Clatsop County
- Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Association, Inc.
- private land owners
Recommendations
Continue development as planned. Install interpretive signs. Develop and implement maintenance standards program. Develop an interpretive map/brochure for the Lewis and Clark Trail in Oregon.
Oregon National Historic Trail
Existing Interpretive Resources
SITE: Ontario Rest Area
LOCATION: Ontario, OR; I-84 westbound at milepost 377
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Oregon Trail kiosk
SUBJECT/TITLE: Gateway information center about the Oregon Trail
OWNER: Oregon Department of Transportation
SITE: Snake River Crossing
LOCATION: Malheur County (sec 13, T2S, R46E) south of Nyssa on OR 201
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Oregon Trail kiosk
SUBJECT/TITLE: Where the Oregon Trail enters Oregon
OWNER: Bureau of Reclamation
SITE: Keeney Pass
LOCATION: Malheur County (sec 14, T19S, R45E) SE from Vale on Enterprise Ave.
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - USDI Bureau of Land Management ramada with pedestal signs; hiking trail with ruts
SUBJECT/TITLE: Deep wagon ruts
OWNER: USDI Bureau of Land Management
SITE: Vale (Complex)
LOCATION: Vale (sec 29, T18S, R45E)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive waysides - Oregon Trail kiosk at Vale City Park, historical marker at Malheur River, Old Stone House, Ezra Meeker stone marker at county courthouse, Henderson grave and monument 0.7 mile south of town
SUBJECT/TITLE: The town of Vale grew up where the Oregon Trail crossed the Malheur River and has several Oregon Trail historic and interpretive sites
OWNER: public/private
SITE: Alkali Springs Segment
LOCATION: Vale to Willow Camp Springs; Malheur County (sec 25, T17S, R44E to sec 30, T15S, R45E)
DESCRIPTION: Beginning at a point about 6 miles north of Vale and continuing to Willow Camp Springs, the Oregon Trail survives as a dirt ranch road
SUBJECT/TITLE: 13 mile long segment of wagon road
OWNER: public/private
SITE: Alkali Springs
LOCATION: North of Vale on Alkali Springs Segment
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside
SUBJECT/TITLE: The noon stop at Alkali Springs provided only poor water in the 22 mile crossing from the Malheur River to Birch Creek
OWNER: USDI Bureau of Land Management
SITE: Birch Creek
LOCATION: Malheur County (sec 9, T15S, R45E), I-84 at exit 33
DESCRIPTION: Site features a stretch of trail ruts for hiking and an interpretive wayside
SUBJECT/TITLE: Birch Creek was an Oregon Trail camp site that provided good water and grass
OWNER: USDI Bureau of Land Management
SITE: Farewell Bend State Park
LOCATION: Baker County (sec 33, T14S, R45E), I-84 at exit 33
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Oregon Trail kiosk
SUBJECT/TITLE: Here, the Oregon Trail left the Snake River for the last time
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
SITE: Huntington
LOCATION: Huntington, OR
DESCRIPTION: Stone marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Ezra Meeker commemorative marker
OWNER: City of Huntington
SITE: Weatherby Rest Area
LOCATION: Baker County (sec 30, T12S, R44E), I-84 milepost 336
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Oregon Trail kiosk
SUBJECT/TITLE: The arduous ascent of the Burnt River Canyon
OWNER: Oregon Department of Transportation
SITE: Durkee
LOCATION: Baker County (sec 30, T11S, R43E)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - historical marker and Ezra Meeker stone marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Favorite camping place for emigrants and later the Express Ranch, the Durkee Valley and Alder Creek provided an area to camp and rest livestock
OWNER: Travel Information Council
Note: another Ezra Meeker marker is located where the Trail turns at Straw Ranch Creek
SITE: National Historic Oregon Trial Interpretive Center at Flagstaff Hill
LOCATION: I-84 at exit 302, then five miles east on OR 86
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive center
SUBJECT/TITLE: The Oregon Trail Story - subthemes are the history of the General Land Office and mining in eastern Oregon
OWNER: USDI Bureau of Land Management
Note: site also includes rut segments and general visitor services
SITE: Baker Valley Rest Area
LOCATION: Baker County (sec 33, T7S, R40E), I-84 milepost 295
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive waysides - Oregon Trail kiosks
SUBJECT/TITLE: Having passed through the arid reach of Virtue Flats, emigrants welcomed the relief of water and bunch grass found in Baker Valley
OWNER: Oregon Department of Transportation
SITE: Ladd Hill Segment
LOCATION: Union County (sec 13, T4S, R39E to sec 12, T4S, R39E)
DESCRIPTION: Two mile segment of trail
SUBJECT/TITLE: Wagon ruts remain where the Trail crossed this hill to the Grand Ronde Valley
OWNER: Private
SITE: Charles Reynolds Rest Area
LOCATION: Union County (sec 12, T4S, R39E), I-84 milepost 268
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive waysides - Oregon Trail kiosks
SUBJECT/TITLE: Upon reaching the Grand Ronde Valley, the emigrants found local tribes eager to trade food supplies for goods or to barter for livestock
OWNER: Oregon Department of Transportation
SITE: La Grande (Complex)
LOCATION: La Grande (sec 8, T3S, R38E)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive waysides - Oregon Trail memorial in Birnie Park, Ezra Meeker stone marker at Second and B Streets, historical marker and log cabin at Gangloff Park
SUBJECT/TITLE: The "Old Town" section of La Grade was founded in the area where emigrants camped in preparation for their first ascent into the Blue Mountains
OWNER: public/private
SITE: Blue Mountain Segment
LOCATION: Union county and Umatilla County (sec 7, T3S, R38E to sec 31, T1S, R36E)
DESCRIPTION: 17 mile long trail segment
SUBJECT/TITLE: Trail ruts through meadows and pine forest from La Grande to Summit Road
OWNER: public/private
SITE: Hilgard Junction State Park
LOCATION: Union County (sec 31, T2S, R37E), I-84 at exit 252
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Oregon Trail kiosk; ruts on park land where the Trail descends to the river
SUBJECT/TITLE: After crossing the mountains from La Grande, emigrants camped here along the Grand Ronde River before their next ascent into the Blue Mountains
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
SITE: Oregon Trail Interpretive Park at Blue Mountain Crossing
LOCATION: Union County (sec 16, T2S, R36E), I-84 at exit 248 (follow signs)
DESCRIPTION: Oregon Trail interpretive park featuring pristine ruts, filly accessible interpretive trails, and living history demonstrations
SUBJECT/TITLE: Crossing the Blue Mountains
OWNER: USDA Forest Service
SITE: Meacham
LOCATION: Meacham (sec 3, T1S, R35E)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - historical marker and stone monument
SUBJECT/TITLE: This area was first used for Oregon Trail encampments and evolved into freighting, stagecoach, and railroad uses
OWNER: Travel Information Council/private
SITE: Emigrant Springs Park
LOCATION: Umatilla County (sec 29, T1N, R35E), I-84 at exit 234, south on OR 30
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Oregon Trail kiosk, historical markers, stone monuments including an Ezra Meeker marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Summit campsite
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
SITE: Deadman Pass Rest Area
LOCATION: Umatilla County (sec 1, T1N, R34E), I-84 milepost 228
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive waysides - Oregon Trail kiosks, ruts visible and accessible on private land adjacent to both rest areas
SUBJECT/TITLE: Crossing the Blues and the Columbia Plateau
OWNER: Oregon Department of Transportation
SITE: Emigrant Hill Segment
LOCATION: Umatilla County (sec 1, T1N, R34E to sec 22, T2N, R34E)
DESCRIPTION: 4 mile long trail segment
SUBJECT/TITLE: From the Deadman Pass rest area to the NW corner of section 22, intermittent sections of ruts show the descent from the Blue Mountains to the Umatilla River; despite the disruptions of the concurrent pipeline and power corridor, this potential hiking segment provides an excellent feeling of the landscape
OWNER: public/private
SITE: Whitman Mission National Historic Site
LOCATION: Walla Walla County, WA
DESCRIPTION: National Historic Site, including visitor center and mission complex site
SUBJECT/TITLE: The mission was established in 1836 and became an important way station on the Oregon Trail until its destruction in 1847
OWNER: USDI National Park Service
Note: National Register Status, listed 10/15/1966 #66000749
SITE: Tamastslikt Cultural Institute
LOCATION: Umatilla Indian Reservation, I-84 at exit 216, one mile north on OR 331
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive center and museum complex
SUBJECT/TITLE: The impact that the Oregon Trail and westward expansion has had upon the tribes
OWNER: Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
SITE: Pendleton (Complex)
LOCATION: Pendleton, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive waysides - Oregon Trail kiosk at First and Frazier Streets, Umatilla County Historical Museum, Ezra Meeker stone marker at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institute, historical markers
SUBJECT/TITLE: Emigrants camped along the Umatilla River, finding opportunities for trade with Indians before continuing west or turning north toward the Whitman Mission. Pendleton was established as a trade and transportation center where the Oregon Trail made its upper crossing of the Umatilla River
OWNER: public/private
SITE: Echo (Complex)
LOCATION: Echo, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive waysides - Fort Henrietta Park interpretive wayside, Koontz grace and OCTA pedestal sign, Fort Henrietta archeological site, Echo historical museum, various rut segments
SUBJECT/TITLE: This was an important campsite on the lower crossing of the Umatilla River, offering plentiful grass, water, and wood. The Utilla Indian Agency house was located on the north bank, but was burned in the Yakima War -- Fort Henrietta was built in its place
OWNER: public/private
SITE: Echo Meadows
LOCATION: Umatilla County (sec 22, T3N, R28E), 5.5 miles west of Echo, then 0.5 mile north on gravel road
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside with ramada, walking trails, and scenic overlook
SUBJECT/TITLE: From the lower Umatilla River crossing, emigrants could travel west across the Columbia Plateau, or follow the Umatilla River to the Columbia. Those who chose the plateau route passed through Echo Meadows, where the Trail may still be walked today
OWNER: USDI Bureau of Land Management
SITE: Stanfield Rest Area
LOCATION: Umatilla County, I-84 milepost 186
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive waysides - Oregon Trail kiosks
SUBJECT/TITLE: Emigrants who chose to follow the Umatilla River passed this way on their way to the Columbia River and down its south bank to The Dalles
OWNER: Oregon Department of Transportation
SITE: Boardman Segment
LOCATION: Morrow County (sec 13, T2N, R25E to sec 20, T2N, R24E)
DESCRIPTION: 12 mile long trail segment
SUBJECT/TITLE: Trail ruts run through the shrub-steppe of the Columbia Plateau
OWNER: DoD Navy/State of Oregon
Note: National Register Status (Well Spring Segment), listed 9/13/1978 #78002305 (as of 1998, an amendment to include the Lower Well Springs Diversion, an additional four miles, was pending)
SITE: Well Springs
LOCATION: Morrow County (sec 20, T2N, R25E), 13 miles east of Cecil
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside, kiosk, pedestal signs and walking trails
SUBJECT/TITLE: The Well Springs were a meager but crucial oasis between Butter Creek and Willow Creek
OWNER: Morrow County Historical Society/DoD Navy
Note: National Register status, as above
SITE: Fourmile Canyon
LOCATION: Gilliam County (sec 27, T2N, R22E), I-84 at exit 137, four miles south on OR 18, east onto Eightmile Road, then Fourmile Canyon Road
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - USDI Bureau of Land Management pedestal signs
SUBJECT/TITLE: Deep ruts
OWNER: USDI Bureau of Land Management
SITE: Arlington
LOCATION: Arlington, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Oregon Trail kiosk
SUBJECT/TITLE: Travel by water and land along the Upper Columbia River Route of the Oregon Trail
OWNER: City of Arlington
SITE: Weatherford Monument
LOCATION: 8 miles south of Arlington on OR 19
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside (4' x 6' bronze panel hung from a frame of 8" welded pipe)
SUBJECT/TITLE: Marks the crossing of the Oregon Trail
OWNER: Weatherford family
SITE: John Day River Crossing
LOCATION: Gilliam County and Sherman County (sec 11, T1N, R19E), 14 miles east of Wasco on the Klondike-John Day River Road
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - USDI Bureau of Land Management ramada with pedestal signs on west side of river, monuments on both sides of river
SUBJECT/TITLE: This site provided an easy crossing of the John Day River. After ascending the west side of the canyon, emigrants could take a right fork of the trail to go to The Dalles, or after 1846 take the left fork and follow a cutoff to the Barlow Road
OWNER: USDI Bureau of Land Management
SITE: Biggs Segment
LOCATION: Sherman County (sec 18, T2N, R16E)
DESCRIPTION: 1 mile long marked hiking trail, "First View" monument nearby
SUBJECT/TITLE: One of the last remaining rut segments along the Columbia River
OWNER: White Trust (private)
SITE: Deschutes River State Park
LOCATION: Sherman County
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Oregon Trail kiosk
SUBJECT/TITLE: Emigrants camped here before crossing the Deschutes River
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
SITE: The Dalles (Complex)
LOCATION: The Dalles, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive waysides - Fort Dalles Surgeon's Quarter, Ezra Meeker stone marker, Pulpit Rock
SUBJECT/TITLE: Oregon Trail sites in The Dalles
OWNER: public
SITE: The Dalles
LOCATION: Downtown/Second and Federal Streets
DESCRIPTION: Wall murals
SUBJECT/TITLE: Decision at The Dalles
OWNER: The Dalles Mural Society
SITE: Columbia Gorge Discovery Center/Wasco County Historical Museum
LOCATION: The Dalles (I-84 at exit 82)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive center and museum
SUBJECT/TITLE: With the opening of the Barlow Road, emigrants at The Dalles faced a decision -- whether to float their wagons and families down the Columbia River, or to cross the southern flank of Mt. Hood. Interpretation of the Oregon Trail and other topics of the area's natural and cultural history are presented at the Gorge Discovery Center complex
OWNER: Crate's Point, Inc.
Note: National Register Status -- Fort Dalles Surgeon's Quarters, listed 9/10/1971 #71000682
SITE: Memaloose Rest Area
LOCATION: Wasco County, I-84 milepost 73
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Oregon Trail kiosks
SUBJECT/TITLE: From an area overlooking the river route, two gateway kiosks present major themes of the Oregon Trail
OWNER: Oregon Department of Transportation
SITE: Hood River
LOCATION: Hood River, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal sign
SUBJECT/TITLE: Along this portion of the river route, men and boys driving livestock along the south bank had to swim them across to the north bank of the Columbia (they would later recross to the south bank near the Sandy River)
OWNER: Port of Hood River
SITE: Cascades of the Columbia
LOCATION: Cascade Locks
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside
SUBJECT/TITLE: While men drove livestock along the shore, women and children stayed with the wagons and floated the Columbia River on boats, canoes, and rafts. At this site, waterborne emigrants were forced to portage around the rapids of the Columbia Cascades
OWNER: Port of Cascade Locks
Note: National Register Status -- Cascade Locks Marine Park, listed 5/15/1974 #74001686
SITE: Troutdale
LOCATION: Troutdale, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive waysides - pedestal signs at Harlow House and Columbia Gorge Factory Stores
SUBJECT/TITLE: Many emigrants left the Columbia River route here at the Sandy River and proceeded overland to Oregon City and the Willamette Valley
OWNER: private
Note: National Register Status -- Harlow House, listed 2/16/1984 #84003078
SITE: Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
LOCATION: Vancouver, WA
DESCRIPTION: USDI National Park Service National Historic Site including visitor center and interpretive facility
SUBJECT/TITLE: Fort Vancouver, a Hudson's Bay Company post governed by Chief Factor Dr. John McLoughlin, provided great assistance to exhausted emigrants. A replica of the original fort and a visitor center are administered by the NPS
OWNER: National Park Service
Note: National Register Status, listed 10/15/1966 #66000370
SITE: Dufur
LOCATION: Dufur, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal sign, related site at Dufur Historical Society Wayside and Park
SUBJECT/TITLE: Emigrants taking the Barlow Road camped here at Fifteen Mile Creek
OWNER: USDA Forest Service
SITE: Barlow Road Segment
LOCATION: Wasco, Hood River, and Clackamas Counties (sec 35, T4S, R11E to sec 11, T3S, R7E)
DESCRIPTION: 32 mile long trail segment
SUBJECT/TITLE: The Oregon Trail crosses the Cascades through the Mt. Hood National Forest where the Barlow Road still exists as either a dirt road or a forest trail. Interpretive waysides at Rock Creek Reservoir, Gate Creek, White River Crossing, Fort Deposit, Devil's Half Acre, Barlow Pass, Pioneer Woman's Grave, Summit Meadow, Timberline Lodge, Government Camp, Laurel Hill, and West Barlow Tollgate
OWNER: USDA Forest Service/private
Note: National Register Status -- Barlow Road Historic District, listed 4/13/1992 #92000334
SITE: Gate Creek
LOCATION: Wasco County (sec 35, T4S, R11E)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - USDA Forest Service pedestal sign
SUBJECT/TITLE: The first of several tollgates on the Barlow Road operated here from 1846 to 1852
OWNER: USDA Forest Service
SITE: Barlow Pass (Complex)
LOCATION: Clackamas County (sec 29, T3S, R9E), Highway 35 milepost 62
DESCRIPTION: USDA Forest Service waysides -- Barlow Pass, Pioneer Woman's Grave, Summit Meadow
SUBJECT/TITLE: From where the Barlow Road crosses the summit of the Cascade Mountains to Summit Meadow is a resource area consisting of trail ruts, emigrant graves, and historic sites
OWNER: USDA Forest Service
SITE: Government Camp (Complex)
LOCATION: Government Camp, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside -- shelter and monuments at city park, interpretive signs in snow lodge, pedestal sign on Palmer snowfield at Timberline Lodge, ruts with hiking trails
SUBJECT/TITLE: Emigrants named this site for the abandoned cavalry wagons they found here after troops left them behind in an 1849 winter storm
OWNER: USDA Forest Service/private
SITE: Laurel Hill
LOCATION: Clackamas County (sec 15, T3S, R8E)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - USDA Forest Service pedestal signs, historical marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Laurel Hill was the last major obstacle on the Oregon Trail as emigrants made their way down the western slopes of Mt. Hood. To lower their wagons down the various chutes used on Laurel Hill, emigrants frequently resorted to dragging trees behind their wagons or snubbing ropes around trees and belaying their wagons down
OWNER: USDA Forest Service/Travel Information Council
SITE: West Barlow Tollgate
LOCATION: Clackamas County, US 26 between mileposts 44 and 45
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - USDA Forest Service pedestal signs
SUBJECT/TITLE: This site was the last used of 5 locations that collected tolls on the Barlow Road. The tollgate was here from 1883-1918, and a replica of it stands today beside two maple trees planted by tollgate keeper Daniel Parker in the 19th Century
OWNER: USDA Forest Service
SITE: Wildwood Recreation Site
LOCATION: US 26 west of Welches, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - USDI Bureau of Land Management pedestal signs, rut segment
SUBJECT/TITLE: After 1847, almost all emigrants passed this site to the upper crossing of the Sandy River
OWNER: USDI Bureau of Land Management
Note: National Register Status -- Oregon Trail, Barlow Road Segment, South Alternate, listed 11/20/1974 #74001679; nearby is Rock Corral, listed 12/19/1974 #74001673
SITE: Sandy (Complex)
LOCATION: Sandy, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive waysides - Meinig Park, Jonsrud Overlook, monument and Sandy Historical Museum at City Hall
SUBJECT/TITLE: After crossing the Sandy River, emigrants followed a long ridge called the Devil's Backbone to the lower crossing of the Sandy River. Here they encountered Francis Revenue's trading post and, from 1853-1865, the second Barlow Road tollgate
OWNER: public/private
SITE: Philip Foster Farm
LOCATION: Eagle Creek, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive signs, historic house and barn, replica Foster store
SUBJECT/TITLE: In 1846, Philip Foster funded Sam Barlow's effort to build and operate the Barlow Road. For many emigrants, Foster's farm was the first sign of settlement at the end of the Trail. Foster succeeded Barlow as the primary owner of the toll road in 1851 and operated it under territorial charter until 1857
OWNER: JZH Historical Society
Note: National Register Status, listed 8/15/1980 #80003305
SITE: End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
LOCATION: Oregon City, OR, I-205 at exit 10
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive center complex
SUBJECT/TITLE: The official end of the Oregon National Historic Trail
OWNER: Oregon City
SITE: Oregon City (Complex)
LOCATION: Oregon City, OR
DESCRIPTION: John McLoughlin House, Museum of the Oregon Territory
SUBJECT/TITLE: Oregon City, with its numerous historic structures and sites, may be considered the most important historical site in Oregon
OWNER: public/private
Note: National Register Status -- McLoughlin House, listed 10/15/1966 #66000637
Corridor Resources
Corridor description: I-84 follows the route of the Oregon Trail to The Dalles; the trail folks there, one branch follows the Columbia River Route continuing along I-84 into Portland and south on I-205 to Oregon City; the other is the Barlow Road Route going south on US 197 to Tygh Valley, then west on Wamic Market Road to Forest Highway 48 and US 26 to Sandy; there the route goes south on OR 211 to Eagle Creek, north on OR 224 to Barton, and west on county roads to Oregon City; the official end of the Oregon Trail is at Abernethy Green in Oregon City, where the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is located.
Four Rivers Cultural Institute, Ontario
Geiser Grand Hotel, Baker City
Oregon Trail Trolley Tours, Baker City
Historic Baker City
Oregon Trail Museum, Baker City
Eastern Oregon Museum, Haines
Union County Museum, Union
Historic churches, Cove
Downtown La Grande's historic main streets
Wildhorse Resort, Pendleton
Pendleton Underground
Round-Up Hall of Fame, Pendleton
Pendleton Woolen Mills
Umatilla County Historical Museum, Pendleton
Echo Walking Tour
Sherman County Historical Museum, Moro
The Dalles Dam
Historic Carnegie Library, The Dalles
Historic Columbia River Highway
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Timberline Lodge
Clackamas County Historical Museum, Oregon City
Rose Farm, Oregon City
Willamette Falls
Partners and Players
- Federal and National
- USDI Bureau of Land Management
- USDI Bureau of Reclamation
- USDI National Park Service
- USDA Forest Service
- USDD Army Corps of Engineers
- USDD Department of the Navy
- Oregon-California Trails Association
- Tribal
- Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs of Oregon
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
- State
- Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- Oregon Department of Transportation
- Oregon Tourism Commission
- Travel Information Council
- Oregon Historical Society
- Oregon Trail Advisory Council
- Regional and Local
- certified local governments
- local historical societies
- local chambers of commerce
- regional visitor associations and tourism organizations
Recommendations
The main stem Oregon Trail interpretive sites and segments and interpretive centers are completed. Sign maintenance should continue to be a priority. Wherever and whenever possible, consideration should be made to integrate preservation and promotion of the other branches of the Oregon Trail in Oregon. These are: the Whitman Mission Route, the Upper Columbia River Route, the Meek Cutoff, the Cutoff to the Barlow Road, and the Free Emigrant Road.
Applegate National Historic Trail
In 1994, the Applegate Trail Coalition sponsored placement of 18 interpretive signs along the Applegate route in Oregon. The project was supported by the Oregon Trails Coordinating Council as part of the Council's mission to promote, preserve, and protect Oregon's National Historic Trails. The Applegate Trail signing project was funded, in part, by a matching grant from the Council, and complemented existing interpretive signs, exhibits, and commemorative markers on the Trail's route.
SITE: Goose Lake State Park
LOCATION: Lakeview, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside
SUBJECT/TITLE: Oregon at Last and A Truly Horrid Situation
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
SITE: Malin City Park
LOCATION: Malin, OR
DESCRIPTION: Historical markers; also nearby, "T" style marker SE of Malin on state line
SUBJECT/TITLE: Location on route of Applegate Trail
OWNER: City of Malin/Oregon-California Trails Association
SITE: Natural Bridge on Lost River
LOCATION: Klamath County (sec 7, T41S, R11E)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal sign, "T" style marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: The most important key site to the establishment of the Applegate Trail, the natural phenomenon consisted of two parallel sandstone formations, each ten to fifteen feet in width, that lay just under the surface of the Lost River. It was the only practical ford for wagons that existed within the Lower Klamath Lake basin.
OWNER: Klamath County
Note: This site today is used as the foundation for an irrigation-diversion dam
SITE: State Line Welcome Center
LOCATION: Oregon-California border on US 97
DESCRIPTION: Rest area interpretive wayside - pedestal signs, "T" style marker nearby
SUBJECT/TITLE: Location on the route of the Applegate Trail
OWNER: Klamath County
SITE: Upper Klamath River Crossing
LOCATION: Keno, OR
DESCRIPTION: "T" style marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: 1846 Applegate Trail route crossing of Klamath River
OWNER: Klamath County Historical Society
SITE: Lower Klamath River Crossing
LOCATION: Klamath County (sec 29, T39S, R7E)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal signs, historical marker, "T" style marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Applegate Trail route crossing of Klamath River from Bear Valley cutoff initiated by Levi Scott in 1847
OWNER: Klamath County/Travel Information Council
SITE: Jenny Creek Wagon Slide
LOCATION: Klamath County (sec 34, T39S, R4E)
DESCRIPTION: "T" style marker; another "T" marker placed by Applegate Trail historians Devere and Helen Helfrish is located about 3/4 mile NE
SUBJECT/TITLE: Location of wagon descent to Jenny Creek ford
OWNER: Klamath County Historical Society
SITE: Tub Springs State Wayside
LOCATION: Jackson County (sec 2, T40S. R3E)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal signs
SUBJECT/TITLE: A Welcome Water Source/Crossing the Siskiyous: Wagon Ruts of Cascade Wagon Road
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
SITE: Cascade Mountains Summit
LOCATION: Jackson County (sec 33, T39S, R3E)
DESCRIPTION: "T" style marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: From this point, emigrants crested the Cascade Mountains and descended into Tyler Creek; junction with Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail
OWNER: Southern Oregon Historical Society
SITE: Tyler Creek confluence with Emigrant Creek
LOCATION: Jackson County (sec 1, T40S, R2E)
DESCRIPTION: "T" style markers located nearby at Tyler Creek and Emigrant Creek
SUBJECT/TITLE: Junction with Hudson's Bay trapper trail to California; site where Applegate trail blazers departed trapper trail to seek a pass over the Cascade Mountains
OWNER: Southern Oregon Historical Society
SITE: Jacksonville Complex
LOCATION: Jacksonville, OR
DESCRIPTION: Historic district
SUBJECT/TITLE: First town established in area when gold was discovered in southern Oregon in 1851-52 -- settlement provided aid to emigrants on Applegate Trail and volunteer military personnel
OWNER:
SITE: Valley of the Rogue State Park
LOCATION: Jackson County (sec 25, T36S, R4W)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Applegate Trail kiosk
SUBJECT/TITLE: Native American Seasonal Round/Attitude of Prejudice/Rogue Valley Trail of Tears/Free Land -- First Come, First Served/On the Trapper's Trail/Petty Disputes and Jealousies
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
SITE: Grave Creek
LOCATION: Sunny Valley (sec 11, T34S, R6W)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal sign
SUBJECT/TITLE: No Time to Mourn; Site of 1846 Martha Leland Crowley grave and historic covered bridge
OWNER: Josephine County
Note: National Register Site, listed 11/29/1979 #79002077
SITE: Wolf Creek Tavern State Heritage Site
LOCATION: Wolf Creek (sec 22, T33S, R6W)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal signs, historic building
SUBJECT/TITLE: Oregon State Park located along Applegate Trail route; tavern opened in the 1880s to serve Oregon-California stagecoach traffic
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department/Oregon Dept. of Transportation
Note: National Register Site, listed 9/22/1972 #72001081
SITE: Canyon Creek Road
LOCATION: I-5 at exit 95
DESCRIPTION: Historical marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Canyon Creek Trail, 1828-1884
OWNER: Travel Information Council
SITE: Canyonville Pioneer Park
LOCATION: Canyonville, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Applegate Trail kiosk
SUBJECT/TITLE: Trail of Adversity/A Reckless Breed of Men/Pioneer Women/Lure of Free Land & the Consequences/Perspectives/One of Oregon's First Treaty Tribes. The descent down Canyon Creek was one of the most arduous portions of the entire Applegate Trail. In 1851, land claims were taken at Canyonville and businesses started to serve travelers on the Applegate Trail
OWNER: City of Canyonville
SITE: Roseburg County Courthouse
LOCATION: Roseburg, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive sign
SUBJECT/TITLE: Applegate Trail
OWNER: Oregon-California Trails Association
SITE: Cabin Creek
LOCATION: Oakland, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal sign
SUBJECT/TITLE: In the winter of 1846-47, Rev. Joseph A. Cornwall erected a cabin to wait for better weather and health; in 1851, the region's first grist mill and town, Oakland, was established across Calapooya Creek from Cornwall's cabin.
OWNER: City of Oakland
Note: National Register Site, listed 3/30/1979 #79002058
SITE: Pleasant Valley/Yoncalla Complex
LOCATION: Yoncalla, OR
DESCRIPTION: Area where the Applegate Trail forked into eastern and western branches and where the Applegate family settled; the two branches rejoined near the Long Tom River Crossing.
SUBJECT/TITLE: The Applegate Trail split into two branches in this area. The eastern fork of the trail, opened in 1846-47, branched east crossing over the Calapooya Mountains to the western branch closely followed the Hudson's Bay trappers trail to California and became part of the Applegate Trail after the Applegate families relocated their homesteads to Yoncalla and developed the route as a shorter way to the west side of the Willamette Valley. In Yoncalla, an Applegate monument is located at the corner of Front and Applegate Avenue and nearby is the historic Charles Applegate House. North of Yoncalla, a historic marker commemorates the location of the Jesse Applegate homestead.
OWNER: public/private
Note: Charles Applegate House is a National Register Site, listed 3/17/1975 #74001583
SITE: Riverside Park
LOCATION: Cottage Grove, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal signs
SUBJECT/TITLE: Changing Trail to Oregon/Crossing the Calapooya Mountains/A Trail by Any Other Name/River Road - Historic Trail to Modern Highway/A Tale of Two Cities/Lane County's Emigrant Trails
OWNER: City of Cottage Grove
Note: eastern branch of Applegate Trail
SITE: Skinner's Cabin
LOCATION: Eugene, OR (Skinner's Park)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal signs; a replica of Skinner's cabin is located at approximately the original cabin's location
SUBJECT/TITLE: Skinner's Cabin/Genesis of a City/Lane County's Applegate Trails. Skinner Park is located along the eastern branch of the Applegate Trail. In 1846, Eugene Skinner's cabin was the first sign of civilization that emigrants encountered at the end of their 2000 mile journey
OWNER: City of Eugene
Note: eastern branch of the Applegate Trail
SITE: Zumwalt Park
LOCATION: Fern Ridge Reservoir
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal signs
SUBJECT/TITLE: Lane County's Emigrant Trails/Smoke, Fire, and Misunderstanding/If This Land Could Speak
OWNER: Lane County
Note: western branch of Applegate Trail
SITE: Richardson Park
LOCATION: Fern Ridge Reservoir
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal signs
SUBJECT/TITLE: The Magnetism of Oregon
OWNER: Lane County
Note: western branch of Applegate Trail
SITE: Long Tom River Crossing
LOCATION: Washburne State Wayside, Lane County (sec 12, T15S, R3W)
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - pedestal signs
SUBJECT/TITLE: Lane County Emigrant Trails/Journey of a Lifetime. Applegate Trail near the crossing of the Long Tom River and the rejoining of the eastern and western branches
OWNER: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
SITE: Avery Park
LOCATION: Corvallis, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Applegate Trail kiosk
SUBJECT/TITLE: Yet Another River to Cross/A Varied Cast of Characters/Heart of the Valley/Resolving the Oregon Question/Transportation Hub/We Do Not Wish to Leave Our Country. In 1846, the crossing of Mary's River was the last place that emigrants would need to disassemble their wagons and ferry them across a river on a canoe.
OWNER: City of Corvallis
SITE: La Creole (Rickreall) Creek Complex
LOCATION: Dallas, OR
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive wayside - Oregon-California Trails Association pedestal sign at Dallas City Park; Applegate Trail kiosk at Polk County Fairgrounds; pedestal sign at Guthrie Park
SUBJECT/TITLE: Remedy for an Evil/Sage or Scoundrel/Levi Scott - Trailblazer/Polk County - Land of Promise/Grand Ronde Reservation/The First Investors/Guthrie Park. The official beginning and end of the Applegate Trail, La Creole (Rickreall) Creek was the gathering site where the company of trailblazers met in 1846 to depart on their trek to seek out a southern route from the Oregon Trail into the Willamette Valley. The original Applegate land claims are located 4 miles NW.
OWNER: public/private
Corridor Resources
Corridor description: The Applegate Trail enters Oregon near Malin and follows the Klamath Falls-Malin Highway (OR 39) to Malone Road where it turns south back into California. The route reenters Oregon on US 97 and follows the Keno-Worden Road to Keno, then goes west on OR 66 to Ashland. The route then goes north on I-5 to Eugene, north on OR 99 to Junction City, and north on OR 99W through Corvallis into Polk County. The route then goes west on Airlie Road to OR 223 and then north to Dallas.
Malin
Bear Valley Eagle Refuge
Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge
Favell Museum, Klamath Falls
Klamath County Museum, Klamath Falls
Baldwin Hotel Museum, Klamath Falls
Keno
Ashland Shakespearean Theater complex
Ashland historic homes and buildings
Schneider Art Museum, Ashland
Jacksonville Historic District
Jacksonville Woodlands Historic Natural Park and Trail System
Historic Discovery Drives: Your Guide to Jackson County's Past (brochure)
CC Beekman House, Jacksonville
Butte Creek Mill, Eagle Point
Eagle Point Historical Society
Eagle Point General Store Museum
Antelope Creek Covered Bridge
Prospect Hotel, Prospect
Gin Lin Trail (15 miles south of Jacksonville)
Woodville Museum, Rogue River
Rogue River rafting
Southern Oregon Historical Society, Medford
Railroad Park, Medford
Savage Rapids Dam, Gold Hill
Rocky Point, Gold Hill
Schmidt House Museum/Josephine Co. Historical Society, Grants Pass
Newman United Methodist Church, Grants Pass
Haines Apple Tree, Merlin
Grave Creek Covered Bridge, Sunny Valley
Golden's carpenter gothic church (1895)
Whiskey Creek Cabin, Grave Creek boat landing
Floed-Lane House, Roseburg
McKays Fort Site, Roseburg
Mill-Pine Neighborhood Historic District, Roseburg
Pioneer Memorial Museum and Indian Culture Center, Canyonville
Historic Oakland
Oakland Museum
Stephens Community Historic District (west of Oakland)
Winston Historic District
North Umpqua River/Steamboat Springs
Azalea General Store, Azalea
Dorris Ranch, Cottage Grove
Lane Co. Historical Museum, Eugene
Museum of Natural History, Eugene
Willamette Valley covered bridges
Benton County History Center, Corvallis
Benton County Historical Museum, Philomath
James O. Wilson House, Corvallis
Benton County Courthouse
Polk County Courthouse, Dallas
Muir-McDonald Tannery, Dallas
Gentle House, Monmouth
Campbell Hall, Monmouth
Existing area tours of interest (brochures are available)
Willamette Valley Driving/Cycling Loop (scenic byway)
South Cascades Route (scenic byway)
Rogue/Umpqua Scenic Byway
Scenic Applegate Valley Tour
Galic-Hellgate USDI Bureau of Land Management back country byway
Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway
Grants Pass historical tours
Oregon Redwoods tour
Municipal Parks, State Parks, National Parks, and BLM Properties
Crater Land National Park
OC&E Rail Trail State Park, Klamath Falls
Jackson F. Kimball State Park, Klamath Falls
Tub Springs Wayside, Pinehurst
Indian Mary Park
Caveman Bridge/Riverside Park, Grants Pass
Oregon Caves National Monument
Valley of the Rogue State Park, Rogue River
Washburne Wayside
Tou Velle State Park, Medford
Historic Markers and Interpretive Signs
Upper Klamath Lake/Klamath Falls City Park (Travel Information Council)
10 miles south of Monmouth/Camp Adair (Travel Information Council)
Partners and Players
- Federal and National
- USDI Bureau of Land Management
- USDI National Park Service
- USDA Forest Service
- Oregon-California Trails Association
- Tribal
- Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
- Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua
- Klamath Tribes
- State
- Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- Oregon Department of Transportation
- Oregon Historical Society
- Oregon Trail Advisory Council
- Oregon Tourism Commission
- Travel Information Council
- California State Parks
- Regional and Local
- certified local governments
- local historical societies
- local chambers of commerce
- regional visitor associations and tourism organizations
- private land owners
Recommendations
Opportunities exist to develop and interpret two hiking segments. One recommendation is to develop Bear Creek Valley Hiking Segment to link the Applegate Trail route through Bear Creek Valley to the Lower Klamath River Crossing (sec 32, T40S, R8E to sec 29, T39S, R7E). The 10 mile long segment intersects both private and public property.
The Cascade Mountain Crossing Hiking Segment, in Klamath County and Jackson County, presents significant potential and significant barriers, too. The 30 mile long segment links interpretive waysides and markers and Lower Klamath River Crossing, Tub Springs State Wayside, Sheppy Creek, Jenny Creek Wagon Slide, Round Prairie, Lincoln, Hyatt Lake, Keene Creek Wagon Slide, Cascade Summit, Tyler Creek, Emigrant Creek, Songer Gap, and Emigrant Lake (sec 30, T39S, R7E to sec 34, T39S, R2E). As with the Bear Valley Hiking Segment, the Cascade Mountain Crossing Hiking Segment crosses both public and private property.
In addition to long-range opportunities to develop these hiking segments, an immediate opportunity exists to produce a trail-wide interpretive and marketing brochure to complement the interpretive signs and communities along the Trail. The signs provide a logical focus for a heritage driving tour through the Applegate County, and a brochure would greatly complement the existing signs and provide a tourism and educational resource.
Because each recommendation includes a variety of potential partners and players, the Council encourages a cooperative approach, linking federal agencies, state agencies, and local organizations to each project.
Nez Perce National Historic Trail
Existing Interpretive Resources
SITE: Chief Joseph Monument (Old Chief Joseph Cemetery)
LOCATION: OR 82, north of Wallowa Lake and one mile south of Joseph, OR
DESCRIPTION: A small sign on OR 82 directs visitors to "Chief Joseph Monument"
SUBJECT/TITLE: Cemetery site itself does not have an interpretive sign
OWNER: Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and managed by the National Park Service
Notes: This highly visited and visible site on the shore of Wallowa Lake is an Indian cemetery which contains the grave of Old Chief Joseph (the officially designated stated of the Nez Perce NHT). Deeded to the federal government as trust land in the late 1920s by a local irrigation consortium, the site was originally intended to serve as a marked cemetery for the reinterrment of Native American remains disturbed by agriculture throughout Wallowa County. In 1928, the remains of Old Chief Joseph were reinterred at the cemetery. The site received a major renovation in the late 1930s and early '40s by a Umatilla Tribe Civilian Conservation Corps group. The resulting improvements, now historic structures, included a rock wall fronting today's OR 82, fencing, irrigation, landscaping, and miscellaneous rock structures. A dedication held in 1940 was widely attended by dignitaries and citizens from across the state. Following this period of intense activity, the site once again fell into federal neglect until it was included in the Nez Perce National Historic Park in 1992.
SITE: Old Joseph Cemetery
LOCATION: OR 82, north of Wallowa Lake and one mile south of Joseph, OR
DESCRIPTION: Historic markers
SUBJECT/TITLE: Oregon Geology, Wallowa Lake (a brief explanation of the formation of Wallowa Lake and the adjacent glacial moraine)/Oregon History, National Indian Cemetery (explains the use of the cemetery by the Nez Perce and Umatilla Tribes)
OWNER: Travel Information Council
SITE: Imnaha River Canyon Trail
LOCATION: On the Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) National Recreational Trail within the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and the Wallowa Whitman National Forest
DESCRIPTION: Existing wayside with minimal interpretation
SUBJECT/TITLE: The Wallowa Band split into small groups and spent winters along the Grand Ronde or Imnaha Canyons. Interpretation tells of the early days of the Wallowa Band's journey and Joseph's hardships in departing Imnaha Canyon and crossing the Snake River to join the other Nez Perces.
OWNER: USDA Forest Service
SITE: Dug Bar Crossing
LOCATION: On the Snake River just SW of the Lower Dug Bar Rapids
DESCRIPTION: Two interpretive trail signs along the Dug Bar road mark the point where the Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) NHT intersects the road
SUBJECT/TITLE: The Nez Perce crossing and the beginning of the War of 1877
OWNER: USDA Forest Service cooperative site with the National Park Service; managed through a cooperative agreement between the USFS and the NPS
Note: The sign is meant to be read from the river by passing boaters. There is no potable water at Dug Bar and a round trip by canoe takes a full day. The NPS added the Dug Bar Crossing as a Nez Perce National Historical Park site in 1992. The NPS' 1997 General Management Plan includes proposed additional interpretation. The Dug Bar Cabin and Blacksmith Shop were determined by the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office to be considered eligible for listing in the National Register. Located in Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Dug Bar was a traditional Nez Perce seasonal migration crossing of the Snake River. This is the site identified by scholars as the probably crossing point for Joseph's Band in 1877 as they were being forced onto the reservation at Lapwai. Interpretation describes the effort, the losses, and the consequences of the Wallowa Band's forced exit from the valley and onto the reservation. Accessible by a 25 mile long one-lane gravel road or by river. This is recognized as a National Historic Trail Site and a National Historical Park site.
SITE: Tick Hill
LOCATION: Tick Hill near the town of Wallowa, just north of OR 82 off Troy Road
DESCRIPTION: 160 acre site under development by the local nonprofit Wallowa Band Nez Perce Trail Interpretive Center, Inc., and includes a celebration ground and interpretive facility
SUBJECT/TITLE: The site will tell the story of the Wallowa Band Nez Perce
OWNER: Wallowa Band Nez Perce Interpretive Center, Inc.
Note: The proposed interpretive center will serve as a gathering place for Nez Perce people returning to the Wallowa Valley and will help perpetuate the customs of the people. The site will accommodate hiking trails and outdoor interpretation. Three groups of Nez Perce people are involved in the project: the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, the Chief Joseph Band of the Nez Perce and the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington, and descendants of the Nez Perce on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The NPS has endorsed the development of an interpretive facility and is working with the nonprofit organization to craft a cooperative services agreement. The Nez Perce National Historic Park Comprehensive Plan acknowledges the Tick Hill site as an enhancement to the Lostine Campsite location added to the park in 1992 and intends the site to be the focus of their interpretive efforts in Wallowa County. The OTCC provided funding for purchase and development of the property.
SITE: Joseph Canyon Overlook
LOCATION: 30 miles north of Enterprise, OR, and 11 miles south of the Oregon/Washington state line on OR 3
DESCRIPTION: Highway pullout overlooking Joseph Canyon
SUBJECT/TITLE: The traditional wintering grounds of the Wallowa Nez Perce in and around Joseph Canyon
OWNER: USDA Forest Service; a cooperative agreement among the Oregon Department of Transportation, the NPS, and the USFS is pending
Note: The viewpoint provides a valuable opportunity for interpreting the seasonal migrations of the Nez Perce and their use of native plants for food for both the people and their horses. This site is along the designated auto route of the Nez Perce NHT and provides a view of the canyon bottom environment where the Wallowa Band Nez Perce wintered. In the past the site had a USFS interpretive sign which was damaged and removed. This site was added to the Nez Perce National Historical Park in 1992. The 1997 General Management Plan calls for site improvements including road work, restrooms, trail development, and interpretation. In 1997, the OTCC provided partial funding to the NPS for site improvements at the Joseph Canyon Overlook. Installation planned.
Corridor Resources
Corridor description: OR 82 from Elgin through Minam Grade, Wallowa, and Enterprise, to Joseph with options north from Enterprise on OR 3 along the National Historic Trail auto tour route, or the adventurer's route (4 wheel drive only) from Joseph through Imnaha to Dug Bar.
Elgin Opera House
Minam Grade vistas
Wallowa
Lostine Flea Market
Enterprise: buildings with pressed tin facades and the county courthouse
Wallowa Mountain Visitor Center
Nez Perce National Historic Trail Highway Auto Tour Route (OR 3)
Nez Perce Are in the Wallowas Art Festival
Joseph's bronze foundries
Wallowa County Museum
Wallowa Lake
Wallowa Lake State Park
Wallowa Lake Tramway
Wild and Scenic River Corridor (Joseph Creek)
Eagle Cap Wilderness Area
Hat Point Overlook
Hells Canyon National Recreation Area
Hells Canyon Scenic Byway
Nee-Me-Poo National Recreation Trail
Partners and Players
- Federal and National
- USDI Bureau of Land Management
- USDI National Park Service
- USDA Forest Service
- Nez Perce National Historic Trail Foundation
- Tribal
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
- Colville Confederated Tribes
- Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho
- State
- Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- Oregon Department of Transportation
- Oregon Historical Society
- Oregon Tourism Commission
- Travel Information Council
- Regional and Local
- certified local governments
- local historical societies
- local chambers of commerce
- regional visitor associations and tourism organizations
- Wallowa Band Nez Perce Trail Interpretive Center, Inc.
- private land owners
Recommendations
Oregon has one high potential route segment: the Imnaha River segment which totals eighteen miles; thirteen miles owned by Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and five miles of private land. Ten miles are road, and eight miles are trail. Two significant opportunities exist to complement the interpretive development already planned along the Nez Perce National Historic Trail.
Lone Pine Saddle is on the 18 mile long Imnaha River "high potential route" segment from Corral Creek to Dug Bar. Lone Pine Saddle is within the Nez Perce National Recreational Trail in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. The section from Corral Creek to Dug Bar is on a designated scenic section of the Wild and Scenic Snake River. The seven mile segment over Lone Pine Saddle includes both a hiking and/or horse trail and a very primitive road. Lone Pine Saddle is recognized in the USDA Forest Service Nez Perce National Historic Trail Comprehensive Plan as a historic site, giving responsibility for interpretation to the managing agency. This is the route followed by the Wallowa Band as they moved from their Wallowa Valley camp across the canyon to the Snake River in 1877. This particular route allows visitors to hike the actual route the Wallowas followed.
The Minam Hill Overlook (Minam Grade) is on OR 82, 8.5 miles east of Elgin at the summit of Minam Hill. This is an unmarked and undeveloped site with potential for wayside development and interpretation. The NPS and the Oregon DOT are discussing site development. The Minam Hill Overlook represents the western boundary of the Nez Perce homeland established by the Treaty of 1855 and marked by Old Chief Joseph to identify the band's ownership of the valley to white settlers. The site serves as the western portal to the Nez Perce National Historical Park, and it could provide basic orientation to the park and the Nez Perce history in Wallowa County.
Klamath Trail
Existing Interpretive Resources
SITE: Roadside pullout
LOCATION: US 20 one mile west of Sisters, OR
DESCRIPTION: Historical marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Convergence of Indian trails
OWNER: Travel Information Council
SITE: Indian Ford Campground
LOCATION: Off US 20 at entrance of USFS campground
DESCRIPTION: Historical marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Location of Indian mountain trail
OWNER: Travel Information Council
SITE: Roadside pullout
LOCATION: US 26 twelve miles west of Warm Springs
DESCRIPTION: Historical marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Location of Indian trails followed later by Ogden, Wyeth, Fremont, and Abbot
OWNER: Travel Information Council
SITE: The Dalles
LOCATION: Downtown - Second and Federal Streets
DESCRIPTION: Wall murals
SUBJECT/TITLE: The Dalles: Trade Center for 10,000 Years
OWNER: The Dalles Mural Society
SITE: Celilo Falls Park
LOCATION: I-84 milepost 97
DESCRIPTION: Historical marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Site of Celilo Falls, ancient Indian fishing grounds
OWNER: Travel Information Council
Corridor Resources
Corridor description: There is a common corridor from the Klamath Marsh, north on US 97 to Chemult, LaPine, and Bend. Just beyond Bend, the trail forks in two distinct branches.
Klamath Route
From Bend, continue on US 97 to Madras, then NW to Warm Springs. At Warm Springs turn north on Agency Hot Springs Road to Kahneeta, then continue on Shimnasho-Hot Springs Road to Shimnasho, then on Wapinitia Road to OR 216, and east to Maupin. Travel north on OR 216/US 197 from Maupin through Tygh Valley. Continue north on US 197 through Dufur to The Dalles, then east on I-84 to Celilo.
Collier State Park and Logging Museum
Chemult
LaPine
High Desert Museum, Bend
Deschutes County Historical Museum, Bend
Deschutes
Madras
Warm Springs (Museum at Warm Springs and Kah-Nee-Ta)
Shimnasho
Wapinita
Maupin
Tygh Valley
Tygh Valley All Indian Rodeo
Celilo Park and The Dalles
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center/Wasco Co. Historical Museum, The Dalles
Molala Route
From Bend, drive NW on US 20 to Tumulo, then to Sisters, past Black Butte and Camp Sherman, over Santiam Pass, and past Three Fingered Jack. Then follow OR 22 north to Sublimity, the Cascade Highway to Silverton, then OR 213 to Oregon City.
Tumulo
Sisters
Black Butte
Camp Sherman/Metolius headwaters
Three Fingered Jack
Idanha
Detroit Lakes
Sublimity
Molalla
Oregon City
Partners and Players
- Federal and National
- USDI Bureau of Land Management
- USDA Forest Service
- USDI Bureau of Reclamation
- Tribal
- Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
- Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs of Oregon
- Klamath Tribes
- State
- Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- Oregon Department of Transportation
- Oregon Historical Society
- Oregon Tourism Commission
- Travel Information Council
- Regional and Local
- certified local governments
- local historical societies
- local chambers of commerce
- regional visitor associations and tourism organizations
- private land owners
Recommendations
The Klamath Trail, as listed in the Oregon Revised Statutes, provides some formal recognition to the importance of Indian trails to the history of Oregon. Given its 19th Century development as a route to conduct slave trade, it does not have great potential as a heritage tourism theme, nor is it representative of what most people think of as an aboriginal trail.
However, the western branches of the Klamath Trail and their connections with the Molala Trail system have much greater prospects for development. Considerable research could be undertaken to identify where existing recreational trails follow the same paths or corridors used first by Indians. Since many of these trails are already located on public lands administered by the USFS and BLM, public use should be encouraged and historic themes should be developed to augment their recreational use and interest.
A potential interpretive site might be located near Warm Springs where the route crossed US 26. This is an opportunity to interpret Indian trade trails over and through the Cascades.
Additional resources are available through the Klamath County Dept. of Tourism and Mr. Francis Landrum, who has identified the trail on all township maps between Madras, Bend, and Klamath Falls. Mr. Landrum has extensive documentation and would be an excellent information resource.
Jedediah Smith Route
Existing Interpretive Resources
SITE: Bolon Island
LOCATION: US 101 0.5 mile north of Reedsport
DESCRIPTION: Historical marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Jedediah Smith expedition; nearby massacre site
OWNER: Travel Information Council
SITE: Winchester Bay wayfinding overlook
LOCATION: US 101 1.5 miles south of Winchester Bay
DESCRIPTION: Several interpretive signs at viewpoint
SUBJECT/TITLE: Jedediah Smith recognized on one sign
OWNER: Oregon Department of Transportation
Corridor Resources (listed south to north)
Corridor description: US 101 from the California state line north to Reedsport
Chetco Valley Museum (1855 Blake House), Brookings
"Battle of Pistol River" historical marker/Oregon Coast Trail, Pistol River
Jerry's Rogue River Museum has Jed Smith exhibits
interpretive panels at Rogue River estuary
Curry County Historical Museum at county fairgrounds
Gold Beach
"Battle Rock" historical marker, Port Orford
1870 lighthouse, Cape Blanco
1898 Hughes House, Cape Blanco
pioneer cemetery, Cape Blanco
Oregon Coast Trail, Cape Blanco
Bandon Historical Society Museum
1896 lighthouse and Oregon Coast Trail, Bullards Beach
Seven Devils South Slough Estuarine Sanctuary - interpretive center and study trail
Shore Acres State Park - formal gardens and observation building
Coos County Historical Society Museum, North Bend
1894 lighthouse and visitor center at old USCG center, Umpqua River
Umpqua Discovery Center and Antarctic research vessel "Hero", Reedsport
State Parks
Harris Beach State Recreation Area
Humbug Mountain SP
Cape Blanco SP
Cape Arago SP
Shore Acres SP
Sunset Bay SP
Partners and Players
- Federal and National
- USDI National Park Service
- USDA Forest Service
- Tribal
- Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw
- Coquille Indian Tribe
- State
- Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- Oregon Department of Transportation
- Oregon Historical Society
- Oregon Tourism Commission
- Travel Information Council
- Regional and Local
- certified local governments
- local historical societies
- local chambers of commerce
- regional visitor associations and tourism organizations
- Southern Oregon Historical Society
- private land owners
- Others
- Jedediah Smith Society, University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA)
- Jedediah Smith Redwoods SP (Crescent City, CA)
Recommendations
The National Park Service, in its feasibility study for a Jedediah Smith National Historic Trail, noted that Smith's accomplishments as an explorer of the American West have not been adequately recognized and hence his stature as an explorer is not properly appreciated by the general public. The NPS recommends the following action to recognize the contributions of Jedediah Smith: 1) public land management agencies in close proximity to Jedediah Smith's route should provide markers and exhibits which explain his expeditions and accomplishments; 2) trails should be developed over portions of Jedediah Smith's route; and 3) a private program should be instituted to encourage the placement of markers along the route and to publish guidebooks for the use of those willing to retrace portions of Smith's travels.
The state of Oregon is poised to fulfill these recommendations. Parks managed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department coincide with several of the campsites made by Smith's brigade and would provide excellent interpretive locations. In addition, the Oregon Coast Trail replicates long stretches of the Jedediah Smith Route. Private program support could be provided by the Oregon Trails Coordinating Council or its successors.
Serious efforts should be made to develop interpretive waysides at Oregon State Park properties along the Jedediah Smith Route. The best candidates are the Harris Beach State Recreation Area, Humbug Mountain State Park, Cape Blanco SP, and the Cape Arago/Shore Acres/Sunset Bay State Parks area. Harris Beach has a heavily visited day use area with visitor facilities and beach access which is directly on the Jedediah Smith route. Across the highway is a State Welcome Center. This locale would be an excellent gateway opportunity to introduce travelers to the Jedediah Smith story and provide information about related heritage sites along the southern Oregon coast to Reedsport. Humbug Mountain SP is the site of one of the Smith campsites; it also contains a short segment of the Oregon Coast Trail. Camp Blanco SP is traversed by the Oregon Coast Trail and its day use area on the Sixes River is also one of the Smith campsites. The Cape Arago, Shore Acres, and Sunset Beach State Parks are all Smith campsite location that could easily lend themselves to interpretation of the historic trail.
The development of Jed Smith sites at these State Parks, coupled with existing Jed Smith interpretation found at Gold Beach, Winchester Bay, and Bolon Island, could provide a sufficient number of interpretive waysides to warrant the creation of a themed brochure and self-guiding tour of the Jedediah Smith Trail in Oregon. Utilizing the additional resources of the Oregon Coast Trail and existing heritage attractions such as local museums and historical markers would round out an attractive and economical heritage tourism product.
Additional opportunities exist to partner with California State Parks and the Jedediah Smith Society at the University of the Pacific for state-to-state cooperative development of tour resources and interpretive installations.
Nathaniel Wyeth Route
Existing Interpretive Resources
No known interpretive signs specifically relate to Nathaniel Wyeth and his influences in the Oregon Country. Several signs exist about the Lees, the Willamette Mission, and the naturalists Nuttall and Townsend.
Corridor Resources
Corridor description: Wyeth and his companions followed what later became known as the Oregon Trail along the I-84 corridor as far as LaGrande. Interstate 84 is the only contemporary route through the Blue Mountains near Wyeth's route. The recommended corridor options from that location are --
I-84 to Kanine Ridge Road, to Thornhollow Road, to Spring Hollow Road, to Pambrun Road, to Athena, to Athena-Holdman Road, to Havana-Helix Road, to Helix, and to VanSycle Canyon Road.
LaGrande to Elgin on OR 82 to OR 204 (the Weston-Elgin Road) to Tollgate to Weston. From Weston, travel to Athena, then on the Athena-Holdman Road, to Havana-Helix Road, to Helix, and to VanSycle Canyon Road.
From VanSycle Road, continue on WA 12 to Wallula, then south on WA 12/US 730/, continue on US 730 to Boardman, then follow I-84 to Portland. Links in the metro area include Fort Vancouver and Sauvie Island, as well as further south along the Willamette River to the Willamette Mission site.
Oregon Trail Interpretive Sites and Segments
Four Rivers Cultural Institute, Ontario
Bridgeport/Hereford
National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, Baker City
Oregon Trail Museum, Baker City
Geiser Grand Hotel, Baker City
Eastern Oregon Museum, Haines
Oregon Trail Trolley/elk feeding, Elk Mountains
Union County Historical Society, Union
Union County Museum, Union
Cove and Union
La Grande
Blue Mountain Crossing, La Grande
Umatilla County Historical Society, Pendleton
Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, Pendleton
Athena
Helix
Hat Rock SP
Irrigon
Celilo Falls
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center/Wasco Co. Historical Museum, The Dalles
Oregon History Center, Portland
Bybee-Howell House, Portland
End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, Oregon City
Willamette Mission SP
Mission Mill Museum, Salem
French Prairie Tour
Aurora Colony
Champoeg SP
Partners and Players
- Federal and National
- USDI Bureau of Land Management
- USDI National Park Service
- USDA Forest Service
- USDD Army Corps of Engineers
- Tribal
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
- Nez Perce Tribe
- State
- Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- Oregon Department of Transportation
- Oregon Historical Society
- Oregon Trail Advisory Council
- Oregon Tourism Commission
- Travel Information Council
- Regional and Local
- certified local governments
- local historical societies
- local chambers of commerce
- regional visitor associations and tourism organizations
- private land owners
Recommendations
Although the Oregon Trail sites and segments interpretive effort has been completed, there are several opportunities to integrate Wyeth's story into existing sites, especially at Hilgard Junction State Park (where Wyeth cut NW across the Blue Mountains), the Oregon Trail Interpretive Park at Blue Mountain Crossing (an opportunity to interpret the story of those who traveled the trail before the great migration: Native Americans, HBC trappers and traders, Wyeth's party, Bonneville, and the missionaries), and at the Willamette Mission State Park (in the general vicinity of Wyeth's farm).
Additional interpretive sign sites might include Wyeth's Juniper Canyon Crossing (perhaps at the junction of North and South Juniper Canyon Roads in Umatilla County), on Sauvie Island at the Fort William site (an opportunity to interpret the relationship between the HBC and the Americans), and at the Bybee-Howell House. Fort Vancouver might also offer an appropriate location for additional interpretation.
Benjamin Bonneville Route
Existing Interpretive Resources
SITE: Wayside near entrance to tunnel for Bonneville Dam
LOCATION: I-84 at milepost 40
DESCRIPTION: Historical marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Captain Bonneville; fish hatchery/dam
OWNER: Travel Information Council
SITE: Bonneville Dam Visitor Center
LOCATION: Cascade Locks
DESCRIPTION: Exhibits
SUBJECT/TITLE: Bonneville's influence and experiences in the Oregon Country
OWNER: DoD US Army Corps of Engineers
Corridor Resources
Bonneville's excursions into the Oregon Country included the Wallowa Valley area and south from Biggs into the High Desert. Two corridor descriptions follow.
Corridor description: Hat Point/Imnaha/Joseph/Enterprise/north on OR 3 and WA 129 to Asotin (resources listed according to proximity).
Hells Canyon NRA
Hat Point
Wallowa Lake
National Indian Cemetery marker at Wallowa Lake Cemetery (Travel Info. Council)
Wallowa Lake historical marker/Wallowa Lake (Travel Info. Council)
Wallowa County Historical Society
Joseph
Enterprise
Nez Perces War historical marker/west of Enterprise (Travel Info. Council)
Joseph Canyon Overlook
Corridor description: OR 97 from Biggs south to Wasco; OR 206 from Wasco across the John Day River to Condon; OR 19 from Condon to Fossil and on to Spray; then to Dayville, Mt. Vernon, and John Day. At John Day, turn south toward Burns on US 395. From Burns, turn south on OR 78 to Crane. North from Crane to Buchanan. East on US 20 through Juntura, the Stinkingwater Range, to Harper, Vale, and Ontario. See also Meek Cutoff. Sections of this route intersect and overlap with the Journey Through Time Tour. (Resources listed according to proximity.)
Sherman County Museum, Moro
JS Burres SP
Gilliam Co. Depot Museum/Union Pacific Depot, Condon
Dyer Wayside
Shelton Wayside
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
Old Red Bard, Dayville
Stone Stable, Mt. Vernon
Kam Wah Chung & Company, John Day
Journey Through Time Tour
Grant County Historical Museum, Canyon City
OxBow Trading Company, Canyon City
Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Silvies (ghost town)
Malheur Lake Wildlife Refuge
Fort Harney historical marker between Burns and Buchanan
Great Basin historical marker, Juntura
Vale Murals
Malheur crossing sign/historical marker, Vale
Rinehart Stone House, Vale
Rinehart Butte, Vale
Partners and Players
- Federal and National
- USDI National Park Service
- USDA Forest Service
- USDD Army Corps of Engineers
- Tribal
- Nez Perces Tribe
- Burns/Paiute Tribe
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
- State
- Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- Oregon Department of Transportation
- Oregon Historical Society
- Oregon Tourism Commission
- Travel Information Council
- Regional and Local
- certified local governments
- local historical societies
- local chambers of commerce
- regional visitor associations and tourism organizations
- private land owners
Recommendations
There are a number of appropriate and interesting interpretive opportunities along Bonneville's route, especially at Homestead (near his estimated river crossing), Imnaha, along the Nee-Me-Poo trail, at the Hell's Canyon Dam, Joseph Canyon Overlook (a NPS site), at the John Day Fossil Beds (a NPS site), at Service Creek (where OR 19 crosses the John Day River, Dayville, or at Rufus, at the confluence of the John Day and the Columbia), and at the Fort Vancouver/Columbia Barracks (USDI National Park Service/Department of Defense US Army). There is also potential to develop hiking segments along the John Day River.
Ewing Young Route
Existing Interpretive Resources
SITE: Roadside pullout
LOCATION: OR 240 three miles west of Newberg
DESCRIPTION: Historical marker
SUBJECT/TITLE: Ewing Young
OWNER: Travel Information Council
Corridor Resources
Corridor description: Follow I-5 north from the California state line to exit 162, then follow the Territorial Highway (OR 200) north through Veneta to OR 36, then east on OR 36 to Cheshire, then north on OR 99W to Newberg.
Champoeg SP
Champoeg State Park Historical Marker
Willamette Post Historical Marker
Willamette Mission State Park
Applegate Trail resources
I-5 corridor
OR 99E corridor through western Willamette Valley and the Chehalem Valley
Partners and Players
- Federal and National
- Tribal
- Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua
- Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
- State
- Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- Oregon Department of Transportation
- Oregon Historical Society
- Oregon Tourism Commission
- Travel Information Council
- Regional and Local
- certified local governments
- local historical societies
- local chambers of commerce
- regional visitor associations and tourism organizations
- Southern Oregon Historical Society
- private land owners
Recommendations
Most of the Ewing Young Route from Ashland to Corvallis is superseded by the Applegate (California) National Historic Trail where it, too, followed the earlier Hudson's Bay Company trappers' trail. Interpretive sites along this corridor, particularly those in the canyons and mountains of southern Oregon, would be enriched by including the topics of Ewing Young's journeys in 1834 and the 1837 cattle drive. Other opportunities might include an interpretive sign in the Red Hills area of Dundee (the Ewing Young ranch and the Willamette Cattle Company, Oregon's first cattle company) and at the Rogue River (near the site of the Ewing Young/Hall Kelley attack; this would provide an additional opportunity to talk about malaria's effects on the tribes and the attack's subsequent effects on Indian-emigrant relations).
For the Ewing Young historic trail theme, the best opportunity would be a route from Corvallis to Newberg, and on to Champoeg State Park. A stronger idea might be the development of an "old Oregon" loop tour that would present a theme around the pre-Oregon Trail white settlement era in the Willamette Valley that would connect the stories of the retired Hudson's Bay men and their families in the French Prairie with the American missionaries at Mission Bottom and the American mountain men, particularly Ewing Young.
The only interpretive site dedicated to Ewing Young is inadequate. Consideration should be given to moving this site to a better location and expanding its interpretive content.
The Chehalem Valley would make a splendid bike tour route, integrating Ewing Young's story, the Willamette Cattle Company, Champoeg, and the French Prairie area.
Whitman Mission Route
Existing Interpretive Resources
SITE: Whitman Overlook
LOCATION: Umatilla National Forest, Forest Road 31 and 3109, approximately seven miles east of I-84 at exit 243
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive waysides
SUBJECT/TITLE: Two interpretive signs mark where the Whitmans crossed the summit in 1836 and where the trail leaves the summit and descends into Meacham Creek
OWNER: USDA Forest Service
SITE: Deadman Pass Safety Rest Area
LOCATION: I-5 at Deadman Pass
DESCRIPTION: Oregon Trial kiosks
SUBJECT/TITLE: Journey from the Blue Mountains/the trail descended to the Umatilla River
OWNER: Oregon Department of Transportation
SITE: Umatilla County Historical Museum
LOCATION: City park at train depot/historical museum at Pendleton
DESCRIPTION: Oregon Trail kiosk
SUBJECT/TITLE: The Whitman Mission/Trail to the Mission/Indian and emigrant interactions
OWNER: City of Pendleton
SITE: Tamastslikt Cultural Institute
LOCATION: 6 miles east of Pendleton on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive center
SUBJECT/TITLE: Tribal life before, during, and after the Oregon Trail
OWNER: Confederated Tribes of Umatilla
SITE: Whitman Mission National Historic Site
LOCATION: 7 miles west of Walla Walla, WA, on WA 12
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive center
SUBJECT/TITLE: The Whitmans, the Mission, and links to the Oregon Trial and Native Americans
OWNER: USDI National Park Service
SITE: Fort Nez Perces
LOCATION: Near Wallula, WA, just off WA 12
DESCRIPTION: Interpretive sign
SUBJECT/TITLE: Location of Hudson's Bay Company trading post
OWNER: Washington State DOT
Corridor Resources
Corridor description: I-84 at exit 224, fourteen miles east of Pendleton; north on Old Emigrant Hill Scenic Road; to Cayuse on the Mission-Cayuse Road; then Thornhollow Road to Thornhollow; to Adams on Spring Hollow Road; Missouri Gulch Road from Adams to the Havana-Helix Road and on to Helix; from there, VanSycle Canyon Road north to the Butler Grade Road; loop back into Oregon toward Umapine to Sunnyside and north on OR 11 to Walla Walla, then looping around Wallula and on down the Columbia to Umatilla and back to I-84.
Umatilla County Historical Society Museum, Pendleton
Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, Pendleton
St. Andrews and Crow Shadow, Mission
Pendleton Underground, Pendleton
Hamley's, Pendleton
Greasewood Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church, Adams
Reese and Redman General Store, Adams
Thomas and Ruckel Stage Station, Adams
Frazier Farmstead, Milton-Freewater
Ireland House, Milton-Freewater
Walla Walla Valley Traction Co., Milton-Freewater
Fort Nez Perces Museum, Walla Walla WA
Whitman College, Walla Walla WA
Downtown walking tour, Walla Walla WA
Walla Walla onion stands
Walla Walla Historic Districts
Mullan Road marker, Walla Walla WA
Frenchtown Mission Church and Cemetery, Lowden WA
Site of the 1855 Battle of Walla Walla, Lowden WA
Twin Sisters near OR/WA state line
Hat Rock State Park, Umatilla
McNary Dam Overlook, Umatilla
Umatilla Historical Museum, City of Umatilla
Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge
Fort Henrietta Park interpretive wayside, Echo
Fort Henrietta archeological site, Echo
Echo Historical Museum, Echo
Koontz grave and OCTA pedestal sign, Echo
Echo Meadows, USDI Bureau of Land Management wayside and hiking trail
Irrigon City Park interpretive markers
Partners and Players
- Federal and National
- USDI National Park Service
- USDA Forest Service
- Oregon-California Trails Association
- Tribal
- Nez Perces Tribe
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
- State
- Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- Oregon Department of Transportation
- Oregon Historical Society
- Oregon Tourism Commission
- Travel Information Council
- Washington state counterparts
- Regional and Local
- certified local governments
- local historical societies
- local chambers of commerce
- regional visitor associations and tourism organizations
- private land owners
Recommendations
There are several opportunities for additional interpretation along the Whitman Mission Route, including identifying and marking the Oregon Trail ruts down the north slope from the Kanine Ridge area. Carsonite markers could be visible from Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, and there is great potential in developing a hiking trail down the slope. There is also an opportunity to develop an auto tour route connecting the resources of Pendleton OR and Walla Walla WA in a driving loop.
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