This isn’t the Oregon Trail of video games. This is 2,000 miles of prairies to cross, mountains to scale and rivers to forge. Whether you want to road-trip through the trail or get an up-close and personal look at pioneer life, the Oregon Trail offers a top historical vacation!
While the first pioneers followed the Oregon Trail across the Western frontier in covered wagons, today’s travelers can experience it from the comfort of the family car. The U.S. National Park Service offers maps closely following the original route, highlighting hikes to trail ruts and historic sites. Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guides are also in the works; currently Missouri and Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado and Wyoming are available online – just hop in the car and you’re on your way!
Oregon’s Flagstaff Hill/National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretation Center is the cherry on top of this historical vacation. The center emphasizes six themes of the Oregon Trail complete with living history performances, exhibits, videos and a four-mile trail. The wagon encampment and mining site offer authentic outdoor experiences. And all year rotating exhibits, life-size scenes and performances in the Leo Adler Theater offer a captivating glimpse at this turning point in American history!
Best Oregon Travel Deals
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Shop and compare lowest prices from top travel sites.
Shop and compare lowest prices from top travel sites.
Shop and compare lowest prices from top travel sites.
Shop and compare lowest prices from top travel sites.
Shop and compare lowest prices from top travel sites.
Things to know:
Region: Eastern Oregon
Average temperature: Low 42 degrees, high 66 degrees F.
Related activities: If you’re road-tripping, stop in Baynard, Nebraska for the Oregon Trail Wagon Train. Enjoy an actual wagon trek, prairie cook-outs and more!
Fun facts: The Oregon Trail is the longest of the overland routes used in the westward expansion of the United States!
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