Editing Oregon Trail (section)

===Idaho===
{{See also|Oregon Trail (Ada County, Idaho segment)}}

The main Oregon and California Trail went north from Fort Bridger to the Little Muddy Creek where it passed over the Bear River Mountains to the Bear River Valley, which it followed northwest into the Thomas Fork area, where the trail crossed over the present day Wyoming line into Idaho. In the Eastern Sheep Creek Hills in the Thomas Fork Valley, the emigrants encountered [[Big Hill (Idaho)|Big Hill]], a detour caused by a then-impassable cut the Bear River made through the mountains, with a tough ascent often requiring doubling up of teams and a steep and dangerous descent.<ref>{{Cite web|title=idahohistory.net|url=http://www.idahohistory.net/OTbighill.html|access-date=2021-10-08|website=www.idahohistory.net}}</ref> In 1852, Eliza Ann McAuley found the McAuley Cutoff, which bypassed much of the difficult climb and descent of Big Hill. About {{convert|5|mi|km}} on they passed present-day [[Montpelier, Idaho|Montpelier]], Idaho, which is now the site of the National Oregon-California Trail Center.<ref>[http://www.oregontrailcenter.org/ The National Oregon-California Trail Center] Retrieved February 25, 2009</ref> The trail follows the Bear River northwest to present-day Soda Springs, which attracted pioneers with hot carbonated water for laundry and chugging springs for fresh water.<ref>Soda Springs quotes Idaho State Historical Society [http://www.idahohistory.net/Reference%20Series/0182.pdf] Retrieved February 25, 2009</ref> Just west of Soda Springs the Bear River turns southwest as it heads for the Great Salt Lake, and the main trail turns northwest to follow the [[Portneuf River (Idaho)|Portneuf River]] valley to Fort Hall, Idaho. Fort Hall was a fur trading post located on the Snake River, established in 1832 by Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth and company and later sold in 1837 to the Hudson's Bay Company. At Fort Hall, travelers were given available aid and supplies as needed. Mosquitoes were constant pests, and travelers often mentioned that their animals were covered with blood from the bites. The route from Fort Bridger to Fort Hall is about {{convert|210|mi|km}}, taking nine to twelve days.

[[File:Alfred Jacob Miller - Storm - Waiting for the Caravan - Walters 371940147.jpg|thumb|''Storm: Waiting for the Caravan'', by Alfred Jacob Miller]]

At Soda Springs was one branch of [[Emigrant Trail in Wyoming#Lander Road|Lander Road]] (established and built with government contractors in 1858), which had gone west from near South Pass, over the Salt River Mountains and down Star Valley before turning west near present-day Auburn, Wyoming, and entering Idaho. From there it proceeded northwest into Idaho up Stump Creek canyon for about {{convert|10|mi|km}}. One branch turned almost 90 degrees and proceeded southwest to Soda Springs. Another branch headed almost due west past Gray's Lake to rejoin the main trail about {{convert|10|mi|km}} west of Fort Hall.

On the main trail about {{convert|5|mi|km}} west of Soda Springs Hudspeth's Cutoff (established in 1849 and used mostly by California trail users) took off from the main trail heading west, bypassing Fort Hall. It rejoined the California Trail at Cassia Creek near the City of Rocks.<ref>Hudspeth cutoff map (OCTA-Idaho) [http://www.idahoocta.org/Idaho_Trail_Sites.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517150625/http://www.idahoocta.org/Idaho_Trail_Sites.html|date=May 17, 2008}} Accessed February 5, 2009</ref> Hudspeth's Cutoff had five mountain ranges to cross and took about the same amount of time as the main route to Fort Hall, but many took it thinking it was shorter. Its main advantage was that it helped spread out the traffic during peak periods, increasing grass availability.<ref>For an Oregon-California trail map up to the junction in Idaho NPS [http://www.nps.gov/PWR/customcf/apps/maps/showmap.cfm?alphacode=oreg&parkname=Oregon%20National%20Historic%20Trail Oregon National Historic Trail Map]. Retrieved January 28, 2009.</ref>

West of Fort Hall, the main trail traveled about {{convert|40|mi|km}} on the south side of the Snake River southwest past American Falls, [[Massacre Rocks]], Register Rock, and Coldwater Hill near present-day [[Pocatello, Idaho|Pocatello]], Idaho. Near the junction of the [[Raft River]] and Snake River, the California Trail diverged from the Oregon Trail. Travellers left the Snake River and followed the Raft River about {{convert|65|mi|km}} southwest past present-day [[Almo, Idaho|Almo]]. This trail then passed through the City of Rocks and over Granite Pass where it went southwest along Goose Creek, Little Goose Creek, and Rock Spring Creek. It went about {{convert|95|mi|km}} through [[Thousand Springs Scenic Byway|Thousand Springs Valley]], West Brush Creek, and Willow Creek, before arriving at the Humboldt River in northeastern Nevada near present-day [[Wells, Nevada|Wells]].<ref>[http://www.elkorose.com/osino/catrailsmap_smaller.jpg Northern Nevada and Utah, Southern Idaho Tail Map] Accessed February 9, 2009</ref> The California Trail proceeded west down the Humboldt before reaching and crossing the Sierra Nevada.

[[File:Goodales Cutoff of Oregon Trail at Lava Lake in 2013.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Goodale's Cutoff of the Oregon Trail at Lava Lake, west of Arco, Idaho and east of Carey, Idaho along US 26, 20, 93.   Picture of current two tracks along a section of the cutoff of the Oregon Trail.]]

The Snake River's depth and fast water meant that there were few places to safely cross. Two of these fords were near Fort Hall, where travelers on the Oregon Trail North Side Alternate (established about 1852) and Goodale's Cutoff (established 1862) crossed the Snake to travel on the north side. Nathaniel Wyeth wrote in his diary that his party found a ford across the Snake River {{convert|4|mi|km}} southwest of where he founded Fort Hall. Another possible crossing was a few miles upstream of [[Salmon Falls (Snake River)|Salmon Falls]] where some intrepid travelers floated their wagons and swam their stock across to join the north side trail. Some lost their wagons and teams over the falls.<ref>[http://history.idaho.gov/Reference%20Series/0752.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721042929/http://history.idaho.gov/Reference%20Series/0752.pdf|date=July 21, 2011}}</ref> The trails on the north side joined the trail from [[Three Island Crossing]] about {{convert|17|mi|km}} west of Glenns Ferry on the north side of the Snake River.<ref>[http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/id/publications.Par.50091.File.dat/OCTAbooklet.pdf Oregon Trail North Side Alternate] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325011951/http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/id/publications.Par.50091.File.dat/OCTAbooklet.pdf|date=March 25, 2009}}, Retrieved February 25, 2009</ref><ref>[http://www.nps.gov/archive/ciro/hrs/images/fig7.jpg map of North Side Alternate] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325012003/http://www.nps.gov/archive/ciro/hrs/images/fig7.jpg |date=March 25, 2009 }}, Retrieved February 25, 2009</ref>

[[Goodale's Cutoff]], established in 1862 on the north side of the Snake River, formed a spur of the Oregon Trail. This cutoff had been used as a pack trail by Native Americans and fur traders, and emigrant wagons traversed parts of the eastern section as early as 1852. After crossing the Snake River the {{convert|230|mi|km|adj=on}} cutoff headed north from Fort Hall toward Big Southern Butte following the [[Big Lost River|Lost River]] part of the way. It passed near the present-day town of [[Arco, Idaho]], and wound through the northern part of what is now [[Craters of the Moon National Monument]]. From there it went southwest to [[Camas Prairie]] and ended at [[Fort Boise#Old Fort Boise (1834-54)|Old Fort Boise]] on the [[Boise River]]. This journey typically took two to three weeks and was noted for its rough lava terrain and extremely dry climate, which tended to dry the ward on the wagons, causing the iron rims to fall off the wheels. The loss of wheels caused many wagons to be abandoned along the route. It rejoined the main trail east of Boise. Goodale's Cutoff is visible at many points along U.S. Routes [[U.S. Route 20|20]], [[U.S. Route 26|26]], and [[U.S. Route 93|93]] between Craters of the Moon National Monument and [[Carey, Idaho|Carey]].<ref>Goodale's Cutoff NPS [http://www.nps.gov/archive/crmo/goodale.htm] Retrieved February 22, 2009</ref>

[[File:Shoshone Falls, Snake River, Idaho ppmsca.10072u.jpg|thumb|View across top of [[Shoshone Falls]], [[Snake River]], Idaho ([[Timothy H. O'Sullivan]], 1874)]]

From the present site of Pocatello, the trail proceeded west on the south side of the Snake River for about {{convert|180|mi|km}}. This route passed [[Cauldron Linn (Idaho)|Cauldron Linn]] rapids, [[Shoshone Falls]], two falls near the present city of [[Twin Falls, Idaho|Twin Falls]], and Upper Salmon Falls on the Snake River. At Salmon Falls there were often a hundred or more Native Americans fishing who would trade for their salmon.

The trail continued west to Three Island Crossing (near present-day [[Glenns Ferry, Idaho|Glenns Ferry]]<ref>[http://www.nativeamerican.co.uk/oregonroute15.html Three Island Crossing photos] Retrieved February 22, 2009,</ref><ref>Three Island Crossing quotes {{cite web |url = http://www.wvi.com/users/TIC/tic.htm |title = Three Island Crossing |access-date = February 23, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090206235002/http://www.wvi.com/users/TIC/tic.htm |archive-date = February 6, 2009}} Retrieved February 22, 2009</ref>). Here most emigrants used the divisions of the river caused by three islands to cross the difficult and swift Snake River by ferry, or by driving or sometimes floating their wagons and swimming their teams across. Hidden holes in the river bottom could overturn the wagon or entangle the team, and several drownings occurred nearly every year before ferries were established.<ref>[http://www.stateparks.com/three_island_crossing.html Three Mile Island Crossing Park], Retrieved February 22, 2009</ref>

[[File:BoiseOregonTrailMonument.jpg|thumb|upright|left|One of [[Boise, Idaho|Boise's]] 21 Oregon Trail monuments.]]

The north side of the Snake had better water and grass than the south. The trail from Three Island Crossing to Old Fort Boise was about {{convert|130|mi|km}} long. The next and final crossing of the Snake River was near Old Fort Boise, and could be done on bullboats while swimming the stock across. Others would chain a large string of wagons and teams together, hoping that the front teams, usually oxen, would get out of the water first and with good footing help pull the whole string of wagons and teams across. Often, Native American boys who could swim were hired to drive and ride the stock across the river. In present-day Idaho, [[Interstate 84 (west)|Interstate 84]] roughly follows the Oregon Trail from the Idaho-Oregon State border at the Snake River. Approximately {{convert|7|mi|spell=in}} east of [[Declo, Idaho|Declo]] in present-day rural [[Cassia County, Idaho|Cassia County]], Interstate 84 meets the western terminus of the western section of [[Interstate 86 (west)|Interstate 86]]. Interstate 86 heads east, then northeast to [[American Falls, Idaho|American Falls]] and [[Pocatello, Idaho|Pocatello]] following the Oregon Trail, while Interstate 84 heads southeast to the State border with [[Utah]]. [[U.S. Route 30]] roughly follows the path of the Oregon Trail from [[Pocatello]] to [[Montpelier, Idaho|Montpelier]].

Starting in about 1848, the South Alternate of Oregon Trail (also called the Snake River Cutoff) was developed as a spur off the main trail. It bypassed the Three Island Crossing and continued traveling down the south side of the Snake River. It rejoined the trail near present-day [[Ontario, Oregon]]. It hugged the southern edge of the Snake River Canyon and was a much rougher trail with poorer water and grass, requiring occasional steep descents and ascents with the animals down into the Snake River Canyon to get water. Travelers on this route avoided two dangerous crossings of the Snake River.<ref>[http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/trails/natltrails.pdf National Trail Map] Retrieved February 22, 2009,</ref> In present-day Idaho, the state highway ID-78 roughly follows the path of the South Alternate route of the Oregon Trail.

In 1869, the Central Pacific established [[Kelton, Utah]] as a railhead and the terminus of the western mail was moved from Salt Lake City. The Kelton Road became important as a communication and transportation road to the Boise Basin.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.idahohistory.net/Reference%20Series/0074.pdf |title = IdahoHistory.net |publisher = IdahoHistory.net |date = July 7, 2010 |access-date = March 19, 2011 }}</ref>

[[Boise, Idaho|Boise]] has 21 monuments in the shape of [[obelisk]]s along its portion of the Oregon Trail.<ref name="Boise Oregon Trail Monuments">{{cite web |title = Oregon Trail Monuments |publisher = Boise City Department of Arts & History |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130515205820/http://www.boiseartsandhistory.org/history/tours-maps/oregon-trail-monuments/ |url-status = dead |url = http://www.boiseartsandhistory.org/history/tours-maps/oregon-trail-monuments/ |archive-date = May 15, 2013 |access-date = March 2, 2014 }}</ref>