In the 1840’s and 50’s, thousands of pioneers followed the shallow Platte and North Platte Rivers across the plains on their way to Oregon and California. Covered wagons passed Scotts Bluff on both sides of the river. Emigrants could not lead their wagons close to the riverbanks for fear of getting stuck in silt, gravel, and quicksand. Scotts Bluff and the impassible badlands in front of you forced Oregon Trail emigrants to follow a route several miles south of the river. On May 27, 1847, Brigham Young led the first of many Mormon Pioneers past Scotts Bluff to their new home in the Great Salt Lake Valley in Utah territory. The Mormons followed the north bank of the Platte from the Missouri River to Fort Laramie, 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of here, where the Oregon and Mormon Trails joined.