I was first struck by the heat. It was an oven temperature, dry with no wind or shade. Sage and a desert floor of scrub brush, deadwood, and boulders blanketed the terrain for as far as the eye could see. This is what the first pioneers must have seen. To say that it was awesome was an understatement. Walking the terrain was tricky enough, but pulling a heavily loaded wagon for mile after endless mile, is almost too much to fathom. Yet, they did it. Click on any of these photos to enlarge.

To the lower left is a photo strip on the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. The upper right photo shows the actual wagon wheel ruts. This area has been preserved and is vehicle-free. The figures are dioramas displayed inside the building. These recreations are magnificent. The animals are real thanks to taxidermy. The human figures are all models taken from live casts. The people who posed for them had to remain in position for 2 hours, breathing through a straw while the casts hardened!