The Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail was much more than a pathway to the state of Oregon; it was the only practical corridor to the entire western United States. The places we now know as Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho and Utah would not be a part of the United States today were it not for the Oregon Trail. That's because the Trail was the only feasible way for settlers to get through the mountains.
The Oregon Trail generally follows the Platte River to its headwaters; and then crosses the mountains. …