Santa Fe and Oregon Trails

This cut was part of the old Santa Fe Trail. Many years ago the Missouri River came near this site, and thousands of early settlers were ferried here. Their wagons and teams climbed this hill and headed west toward Santa Fe and the Oregon Territory. The Oregon Trail junction is south of here near Gardner, Kansas. This cut resulted from great tramping on the land. Besides Fort Leavenworth, other termini along the Missouri River were at Westport, Franklin, and Independence. The Santa Fe Trail was designated as a National Historic Trail by Public Law 100-35 on May 8, 1987.

Leavenworth, Kansas · United States