National Historic Landmark

Oregon Trail Ruts

Guernsey, Platte County, Wyoming
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
66000761

About this property

Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site is a preserved site of wagon ruts of the Oregon Trail on the North Platte River, about 0.5 miles south of Guernsey, Wyoming. The Oregon Trail here was winding up towards South Pass. Here, wagon wheels, draft animals, and people wore down the trail into a sandstone ridge about two to six feet, during its heavy usage from 1841 to 1869. The half-mile stretch is "unsurpassed" and is the best-preserved set of Oregon Trail ruts anywhere along its former length. The site is maintained as a state historic site, and was declared a National Historic Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

Location

Guernsey, Platte County, Wyoming
42.25567, -104.74778

Categories

EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Register Cliff
Listed
1.9 mi
Guernsey Lake Park
Listed
2.7 mi
Sunrise Mine Historic District
Industrial
5.8 mi
Lake Guernsey State Park
Listed
6 mi
Fort Laramie Three-Mile Hog Ranch
Early Republic
7.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Oregon Trail Ruts listed on the National Register?

Oregon Trail Ruts was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Oregon Trail Ruts?

Oregon Trail Ruts is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Oregon Trail Ruts a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Oregon Trail Ruts has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Oregon Trail Ruts?

The period of significance for Oregon Trail Ruts is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Oregon Trail Ruts?

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