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Oregon National Historic TrailShortcuts like the Lander Road in western Wyoming sometimes saved hundreds of miles on the emigrant trail to Oregon.
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Oregon National Historic Trail
Flagstaff Hill
Photo image of emigrant wagons at Flagstaff Hill & the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.
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Emigrant wagons outdoor exhibit at Flagstaff Hill & the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.

10. Flagstaff Hill/National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center - Baker City, Oregon

This 23,000 square-foot interpretive center atop Flagstaff Hill overlooks nearly seven miles of well-preserved Oregon Trail ruts that extend across Virtue Flat southeast of Flagstaff Hill. This arid trail segment, where emigrants fought their way through shoulder-tall sagebrush, tested weary emigrants who had endured four or five difficult days ascending Burnt River. In places, several ruts run parallel, suggesting some teams pulled alongside or ahead of others in the push to reach the Powder River.

But travelers were also greeted with their first site of the Promised Land beyond. From atop Flagstaff Hill, the Blue Mountains beckoned in the distance, assuring emigrants that their long journey from the Missouri would soon end in the long awaited Willamette Valley.

The Bureau of Land Management operates the interpretive center. Living history programs, life-sized dioramas, an amphitheater, and an interpretive trail system support the center's theme of describing life along the trail.

National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
22267 Oregon Highway 86
P.O. Box 987
Baker City, Oregon 97814-0987
Tel: 541-523-1843
http://www.blm.gov/or/oregontrail


Back to the Suggested Trail Sites to Visit page.

 
Map image showing the location for Flagstaff Hill.
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Map image showing the location for Flagstaff Hill.
Marshall's Ferry on the Big Blue River at Marysville, KS.  

Did You Know?
Francis Marshall established the first ferry on the Big Blue River near Marysville, Kansas in 1852, charging fees to ferry emigrant wagons and livestock across the river.
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Last Updated: October 22, 2008 at 09:11 EST