Walking Mormon Trail in search of a dream. The Mormon Trail was used for twenty-three years, from 1846 to 1869. The Mormons documented their trail route. There’s some history plaques and inscriptions, but other than that, it’s a huge blob of rock on the side of the road. Click on the image to see travel stories from other great RV bloggers. They built bridges over streams. The site is now a State Historic Site, but there’s not too much to see. The pioneers used it as a campsite and milestone. For tickets and information on The Constitutional Walking Tour, call 215.525.1776 or email info@TheConstitutional.com . I did an overnight stop in Casper. While the Oregon and California Trail were one-way routes, the Mormon Trail was a two-way route. The Trail Experience The Mormon pioneers shared similar experiences with others traveling west: the drudgery of walking hundreds of miles, Between Guernsey and Douglas, the trail is difficult to follow. In US history, the Mormon Trail refers to the route taken by the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (more commonly known as Mormons) from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake in what is now known as the state of Utah. I was not expecting to be able to visit the LDS site. My interest is visiting historic places. Explore the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail across five states to see the 1,300-mile route traveled by Mormons who fled Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1846-1847. For an easily accessible trail, butting right up against Phoenix’s southern border, it is truly surprising how special, quiet and natural the hike through Hidden Valley is!. Fit Athletic Woman Walking Along the Mormon Pioneer Trail Near Big Mountain in the Middle of Summer With Wildflowers This is a view of the trail leading from Big Mountain along the Mormon Pioneer Trail. Based on years of persecution, they purposely wanted to avoid the “gentiles” who traveled on the south side of the river  They also wanted a more permanently marked and supported route that could be used by their members. Also, they suffered significantly fewer casualties on their trail compared to the others on the Oregon and California Trails. In the 1990’s, the LDS Church purchased a ranch near Devil’s Gate and they leased several more surrounding acres to form their Mormon Trail Historic Site at Martin’s Cove. And for the people from Europe, who were not teamsters and had limited belongs, the hand carts were a viable solution. They wrote a guide-book to help other companies. It took the group about three months and one week to make the trip from … Share this page: Several members (about 100) died here awaiting a rescue group from Utah. Much like they did with all groups, the hand cart groups were organized into companies. For the young and brave (and those with good knees) you can climb the rock. And it worked for them. For one of the hand cart groups, tragedy struck as they approached Devils Gate. The Mormon Trail had a different starting point and followed a slightly different route. This stop at Martins Cove was a high-point for me. It stands 130 ft high. I now appreciate why Utah and the original Trail pioneers who settled there are so significant to their history. The handcart companies were supported by a few wagons hauling supplies for the group. It’s a worthwhile stop. Missouri Mormon Walking Trail Beginning at Walnut and River, across the street from the Community of Christ Auditorium, the trail is one-mile-long with 14 plaques depicting key early Mormon sites. I won’t try to recount the whole story here. As a landmark, it stands out from all the surrounding hills because of its barren brown granite dome. (To envision what is was like to pull a hand cart, think of being on a StairMaster or treadmill exercise machine for 10 hrs per day each day for 16 weeks.). He chose Utah. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 87504. For the Mormons, Utah was their Zion and for them their journey to get there was just as monumental. They established a gathering camp across the river called the Winter Quarters. The last eviction was at Nauvoo, IL in 1846. Check out current news, events, special projects, new research, and more! For much of my journey, I’ve been referring the route as the Oregon Trail. The National Trails System of the National Park Service has a booklet called "The Mormon Pioneer Trail Across Iowa in 1846". Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. This is what they have to say about Bentonsport (pgs. Mormon Trail, in U.S. history, the route taken by Mormons from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake in what would become the state of Utah.After Mormon leader Joseph Smith was murdered by a mob in 1844, church members realized that their settlement at Nauvoo was becoming increasingly untenable.Smith’s successor, Brigham Young, proposed a 1,300-mile (2,100-km) … The Mormon Pioneer Trail is a defining part of Utah history. The trail is rated as moderate and offers a number of activity options. But, for the newly arrived Saints, they had to walk and pull their carts along the trail for 15-18 miles per day. MMFF is a non-sectarian, not-for-profit group dedicated to the promotion and understanding of local history. I'm exploring North America in a small RV. Hear from trail staff about how we define these important parts of history. We did the Mormon Trail, then onto the National Trail which leads to the Hidden Valley Trail. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The LDS Church considers their people’s journey to Utah very similar to the journey that Israel made out of Egypt (a persecuted people seeking a promised land). Traveling with only his dog, Hannah, he recently crossed the halfway point on a journey from Winter Quarters to Salt Lake City. I highly recommend this stop. The Mormon Trail departed from here versus Independence. I made a video on my visit so I’ll let the video show you what this museum was like. Members would return to the Winter Quarters to help form other companies and guide them to Utah. I share stories of my travels in this blog. While on the Trail, they had a set of strict rules that were to be followed by all members. Scott Chisholm walked it too. To view a detailed interactive guide of … Disclosure Notice: Some of the links on this website may be affiliate links. On the northwest corner of this intersection, on the Missouri Athletic Club, is a Mormon Pioneer Trail plaque marking the site of the first chapel used by the Mormons in Saint Louis, 1854–57. Today, this spot is used by the LDS to have people experience and re-enact the struggles of the original Saints along the Trail. In 1856, the Mormons began using hand carts in their journeys for the newly arriving members from Europe. The people of Israel traveled through the Sinai wilderness to the promised land of Canaan east of the Jordan River. trail carried tens of thousands of Mormon emigrants to a new home and refuge in the Great Basin. Some 70K people travelled it from 1847 until the train got to Utah in 1869. This was my stop over before I turned south to head over the Great Divide at South Pass. Mormon Loop Trail to National Trail Loop is a 6.2 mile loop trail located near Phoenix, Arizona. The Mormons documented their trail route. And, they left behind members to build and staff resupply stations. Click on the image to see J. Dawg's latest and most popular travel videos. The Mormon Trail from Fort Bridger followed the trail of the Donner-Reed Party through the Wasatch Mountains. In Wyoming, all the trail routes converged near Fort Casper, where the groups stopped following the Platte River. This landmark is a giant clef in the rocks at the headwaters of the Sweetwater River. I would suggest that before hiking the park you go to the South Mountain Environmental Centre to pick up a trail map or look up the trail guide on-line. While the Oregon and California Trail were one-way routes, the Mormon Trail was a two-way route. It was one of the few stations that existed when the Mormon migration began. Hi, I'm J. Dawg. The Walking Mormon A fat guy learning about himself and his beliefs on the Appalachian Trail. He began on April 28 and will walk more than 1,100 miles in total. The Mormon trail was almost 1,300 miles long and crossed great plains, rugged lands, and the Rocky Mountains. Explore the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail across five states to see the 1,300-mile route traveled by Mormons who fled Nauvoo, Illinois, to … Santa Fe, NM In many ways the Mormons were very much like their contemporary Oregonians and Californians. The Mormon Handcart Historic Site at Martin’s Cove. I left Casper and followed the Trail over Route 220 south. From their labors arose the State of Deseret, later to become Utah Territory, and inally the State of Utah. They had a predictable time-table for their travel. Being a student of the Bible and having read about the Mormon Trail journey, I understand why this place became special to the Mormons. The first historic site I aimed for (and one that the pioneers aimed for ) was Independence Rock. View trail photo galleries, connect on social media, explore deeper on mobile apps, watch videos, and check out other digital media! I continued on my trek west along 220 to Lander, WY. They chose a route on the north side of the Platte River. Members would return to the Winter Quarters to help form other … It is an official National Historic Trail, and there are many spots along the way where you can hike on the Mormon Pioneer Trail. PO Box 728 https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arizona/mormon-loop-to-national-trail-loop Here’s a link where you can read about what happened at Martin’s Cove – Tragedy at Martins Cove. To help understand why it was different, I’ll share some brief (J. Dawg’s version) history to help understand why the Mormon Trail was different. In 1846, Utah it was beyond the Indian Territory and it was some what unclaimed (some thought it was sort of in Mexico and some thought it was sort of in the US). Do you want to experience the trail? Learn more about where you can go, historic sites you can visit and more! The Hidden Valley trail is a short trail and a must do with its natural tunnel and Fat Man's Pass. The final one hundred and sixteen miles, from Fort Bridger to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, was the most difficult of the second stage migration. The Mormon Pioneer Trail technically runs for 1300 miles from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah. We learned a lot about the Mormon's trek across Iowa. Walking the Mormon Trail : Adam Bateman I walked from a spot just outside Omaha, Nebraska, historically known by my Mormon ancestors as Winter Quarters, to my current home (and ancestral home) of Salt Lake City, retracing the footsteps of my great ancestor Thomas Bateman who did this four times starting at my same age in 1850. Brigham Young knew that they had to find a new home far enough away to avoid future persecutions. That infamous Donner Party actually blazed much of the Mormon Trail’s Utah portion a year before the first Mormons came through. Mormon walking trail is a joint project of the City of Independence, Missouri, and MMFF. They ended up getting stranded in a snow storm near Devil’s Gate. If you click on one of these links and make a purchase, I receive a program fee. This shot was taken during the height of summer after a very wet winter and spring. I made a video to show what I saw at this site. It was the most tragic event on all the Trails. You can read more about me at About J. Dawg. When that happened, they made their way across Iowa to a place near present day Council Bluffs. Just down the road a few miles from Independence Rock is another key Trail site called Devil’s Gate. Many folks wonder what a national historic trail actually is. The Jordan River they did with all groups, the Trail of the hand cart groups, the Mormon and! 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