The Oregon Trail is an American pioneer route from the East to the West about 2000 miles long. The Oregon Trail was blazed in part by trappers, the Lewis and Clarke Expedition, and the Freemont Survey party, between 1805 and 1842. Surprisingly enough, parts of the Oregon Trail are still as wild as ever.

Prior to the Mexican American war, most states west of the Mississippi and east of Texas and north of Colorado were part of the Louisiana Purchase. Mexico controlled the southern areas like California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas including loosly Oregon and Washington. This is, up to the Mexican American War. Before gold was found in California, the Oregon Trail was the trail of choice for all land travel west. The Oregon Trail was far easier going than Death Valley or going over the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The Louis and Clark expedition mapped out the way west to fully understand the Louisiana Purchase. Because of the Louis and Clark expedition's maps, a lot was know about the Oregon Trail west whereas Americans knew little about the Mexican held territories. Shortly after the Louis and Clark expedition, Americans seriously, in ernest, started west and they took the Oregon Trail.

The Oregon Trail figures in American heritage as important as the revolutionary war. California, Arizona, and New Mexico would most likely still be a part of Mexico if it were not for this important trail. Americans were looking for new lives. New land to make a living on because even in the early 1800s, the eastern United States was becoming crowded. Huge plantations controlled the south, and most the north was taken too. Expansion was a matter of course. A lot of people went west seeking their fortune long before gold was discovered. Not just a few, but thousands made their way west. Some went to Oregon and Washington, others went into Mexico's California. It was these others, who went to California that were English speaking that made California a state in the United States just after the Mexican American war. If it were not for the Oregon Trail, these people would not been there in sufficient numbers to force California to become a state.

Besides people going west, goods were also shipped west. Prior to the Mexican American War, the Oregon Trail was primarily north of Utah. The use of the Oregon Trail was generally an American migration. Whereas, Mexicans migrated up into California from the south. A lot of goods went overland from the east coast to find their way to San Francisco and other Mexican west coast cities. The idea of hauling heavy loads through Death Valley was not acceptable. Much of the goods went around South America to California but it was not as easy taking this route as one would think. The passage around South America was both long and dangerous. The sea was not kind. Additionally, after one sails to about Mexico City, the Pacific Ocean shore current is form north to south. The shore current made it very difficult, if not, almost impossible, to go north to San Francisco past Mexico City by heavily loaded old type square rigged sailing vessels. Lightly loaded vessels made is easier because they were not as low in the water subject to the current as heavily loaded ones. Either heavily or lightly loaded, it was tedious and treacherous traveling by ship to San Francisco from the east coast of America. So, over land, using the Oregon Trail was the best, safest, and economical way into California for eastern goods.

Then came the Mexican American war. Americans have always been a greedy lot. American's started the war with Mexico over Texas. Because the United States won the Mexican-American war and the people in the United States didn't want the burden of Mexico, they chose to take California and the other Northwest Mexican states instead of keeping Mexico itself. This is because a significant amount of north easterners had migrated to California who were not slave holders. The fear that Mexico would become a southern slave holding state had more to do with the United State's choice to not annex Mexico than anything else did.

After the Mexican American War ended in 1848, American's increased their migration to the west. Not only did Americas travel west, but now there was an increase in the demand for eastern goods. Starting about Independence Missouri and Kansas City The Oregon Trail followed the North Platte and its tributary the Sweetwater, through South Pass in the Rocky Mountains by way of Fort Laramie, Independence Rock. Here is where the big change occurred after the Mexican American War and the discovery of gold in California in 1849. Because more goods and people were heading into California than Oregon, the Oregon Trail slipped south a few hundred miles and went through Salt Lake City. Around Salt Lake City the Oregon Trail broke up into three parts but that was because many people wanted to avoid the Mormons in Salt Lake City. Apparently the Mormons were hostile to none Mormons at that time. The Oregon Trail was still the trail of choice since it was easy to get into California and Oregon because the Mormons were a small group and easily avoided. But the Oregon Trail and slid further south by Susanville because of the numbers of people who wanted to go to California.

Those who wanted to go to California through the mountains where the terrain was far less harsh broke away from the Oregon Trail around Susanville. Only those people who were not loaded with goods and most likely less experienced tried to go over the Sierras at Trucky and Tahoe because it seemed like the most direct root to San Francisco. For many, it wasn't very wise. The wise choice going to California and San Francisco was still the Oregon Trail. The romance writers actually created false information about traveling to California. This wasn't just a migration of poor people west to California and Oregon, this was business. There were plenty of folks that had an economic interest in traveling east to west.

The far North trails were considered dangerous due to the hostiles and the environment. However, many people still took the northern root into Oregon but it wasn't economically wise for those who wanted to get goods to California. Simple economics pulled the Oregon Trail south by the volume of people and goods going to California. Death Valley route was considered a sever hardship. Dragging a heavy load through Death Valley wasn't economically wise what so ever. The Donner Party sort of bummed out the Tahoe trail too. More importantly, the trail the Donner Party took required raising and lowering wagons over cliffs. Again, economically, hoisting a heavily loaded wagon over cliffs was not wise. The Oregon Trail to California had far less negative thoughts associated with it besides being easier and more reliable traveling. Taking the Oregon Trail for a business person was far less risky even though it took a little longer. No business person wants there goods smashed up at the bottom of a ravine somewhere, or lost in an area where the horses died dragging a heavy load across no mans land. "DEATH VALLEY" didn't get that name from the casual traveler who tried to cross it. Death Valley got its name because most the travelers who took that route didn't make it across. So, before and after gold was found in California, the Oregon Trail west was the trail of choice and it headed west till Susanville California.

These trails were traveled by about 1000 - 2000 people per year around 1830's to about 1849. It continued that way until gold was discovered in California in 1849. The post gold rush changed the number of people traveling to California by a factor of a hundred.

Historians romanticized the trek west a lot. The fact is that wagon trains were heading west on a rather regular basis. Forts were built all along the way to protect the goods and people going west. The people leading these wagon trains were experienced. These people were not doing it for the first time either. This isn't to say there were not a lot of fools who thought they knew what they were doing who lead wagon trains west. However, there were a large amount of very experienced wagoneers and teamsters running the business of heading west.

Typically, a team of wagoneers would pick up a wagon train around Independence and lead the train west to around Susanville. Then the first team would head back to Independence. Another group of wagoneers would pick up that train and take part of it to San Francisco while others went to Oregon. Although historians romanticized the way west as an extreme hardship made only by the a hardy few, it was actually a big business. After gold was discovered in California, it wasn't thousands of people heading west to California, it was hundreds of thousands heading west to the gold country. They weren't all stupid like the Donner Party.

In addition to a huge amount of people moved west after 1849, a huge amount of goods went west after 1849 also. A lot of goods went west by ship too. San Francisco bay had thousands of old square riggers anchored in it. A funny part about the sea shipping situation was not enough people were available after the ship got to San Francisco to sail it back. Almost a quarter of all the ships going to San Francisco between 1850 and 1870 were salvaged for their wood and never left the bay. To get enough sailors to man the ship, a huge business in kidnapping was started. Simply, it was economical to move goods west by wagon train. Huge amounts of goods went west over land. Wagon trains were coming into California that were 10 miles long on a daily basis. And, the safest trail to California after 1849, where wagons didn't have to be hoisted over cliffs, or lost to the harsh environment of Death Valley, or hijacked by hostiles, was still the Oregon Trail.

Right around Susanville California, about 26 miles out of town to the east by north east the government put a sign post stating they were in California and those traveling on the Oregon Trail had best decide if they were going to Oregon or to the Gold Rush area. That sign post is sitting 2.3 miles off Highway 395 on Smoke Creek Ranch Road in Lassen California. A 1700 acre plot known as Wild Horse Acres completely surrounds this heritage landmark Oregon Trail sign.

For the vast majority, this was the west end of the Oregon trail because they were headed to California to make their fortune. In California, they went by Susanville, through what is known as Westwood, over the mountains to Redding into the magic gold country of great valley. Some went down the Feather River too. These trails were not called part of the Oregon Trail. As, the Oregon Trail continued north to...where else...Oregon. The official end of the Oregon Trail was Oregon City, just south of Portland Oregon, but over 90 percent of the Oregon Trail travelers ended at Sacramento or San Francisco.

It is funny that presently people are fighting over where the East end of the Oregon Trail started. Some say the Oregon Trail started in Salt Lake because that is where the immigrants had to choose to take the northerly, middle, or southerly routes or the Oregon Trail. Some say Saint Louis because that is the big city which started the trek west to Oregon started. Others say Kansas City because it was the first dry land city on the route, and others say Independence which is close to Kansas City but still on a major water route was the start of the Oregon Trail.

Wild Horse Acres isn't "the west end" of the Oregon Trail but it was the west end of the Oregon Trail as far as the greater majority of gold rush immigrants were concerned. When they made it to Wild Horse Acres, these immigrants had arrived in California via the Oregon Trail. The vast majority of Oregon Trail travelers were gold hungry. Compared to California, Oregon is still mostly an unpopulated State.

Once railroad tracks were laid across the Sierra Nevadas, the Oregon Trail became much less traveled. Pretty much the wagon train business was wiped out too. Today, except for those who want to relive history, the Oregon Trail is hardly traveled. At Wild Horse Acres, at the sign post, the real southern Oregon Trail road still exists ruts and all. This is a badly maintained dirt road unfit for a Lincoln Continental. One can understand why it is not well traveled. The part of the Oregon Trail which goes across the mountains to the west is nothing more than a hiking trail.

It should be noted though, the first automobile that made it from the west coast to the east coast took the same old Oregon Trail and the other trails in California associated with the Oregon Trail. The first car that ever made it across the North American Continent went from San Francisco up to Red Bluff, across to Susanville and east along the Oregon Trail for the most part, then on to New York. This was also an historic trip. For a large portion of this historic trip, the west end of the Oregon Trail was used. You can still see the same old ruts that first car traveled east on because they still there.

Smoke Creek Ranch Road is a county maintained dirt road which sort of parallels the Oregon Trail rout. If you wish to see this historic spot, just take a short trip off Highway 395, go for 2.3 miles Smoke Creek Ranch Road and you should see several dirt roads merging and a couple road signs. Just get in your car and go. Susanville is the closest city of significance. However, at the point of 395 where you cross the rail road tracks, there is a town called Viewland. Not a single building is standing. But there is a valid California town there. The plat maps can help you find this historic Oregon Trail spot. You should easily find the official United States government Oregon Trail crossroads sign post which, in one way or another, give or take 20 years, has been there something like a 160 years. There are two signs on the road at the present time. One is the steel landmark Oregon Trail sign, and the other is a wooded road sign. The area really looks like the cross roads of the Oregon Trail. You can see real history the way it looked 150 years ago. Remember, the crossroads are 2.2 miles from Highway 365 east on Smoke Creek Ranch Road.

If you walk around the Oregon Trail sign post on Wild Horse Acres, it is at your own risk, the owner takes no responsibility what so ever, and permission is revokable at any time for any reason by the owner. See Terms and Conditions. Furthermore, due to wild horses and cattle wondering around, along with rattle snakes, insects, and dry brush causing a fire hazard, and the like, it is not advisable to camp there. There are no facilities, no water, no food, no fences, no doctors, no phones, no trees, no buildings, no toilets, and not much else in the way of creature comforts. Susanville has very good accommodations when compared to Wild Horse Acres. Yet, despite its lack of accommodations, it is a great spot along the Oregon Trail where one can identify with the many adventures who trekked west.

Access is fairly easy. Horses, cattle, mice, rattle snakes, insects, wolves, and other animals frequent the area. Not to mention rabbits digging holes everywhere. Not too many places like this in California left. Oh well? Land is what one makes of it. Wild Horse Acres, soon may not be in the hands of nature either. See it while you can.

If you have horses, Wild Horse Acres is a great place to go riding. There is 1.2 million acres of BLM land to ride on. This is a Wild Horse sanctuary so motor cycles and dune buggies are frowned on by the government. As you can see from the holes in the government sign, the locals are not using light loads and take a dim view of even government property. Wild Horse Acres is truly the wild west at its best. The location of the sign post, for being in modern times, is as close to the real Oregon Trail in all its majesty as one can get.