Migration Routes, Roads & Trails » California Trail

California National Historic Trail (National Park Service)

The trail took gold-seekers through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and California.

California Trail | Learn | FamilySearch.org

From western Missouri to northern California, background history, first successful wagon crossing 1844, reasons for migrating, preparations, trail life, deaths, decline of trail use, main route, connecting migration routes, finding settlers and records.

Central Overland Trail | Learn | FamilySearch.org

1859 California Trail shortcut from Salt Lake City, Utah to Carson City, Nevada, background history, route, map, connecting trails, and finding settler records.

Cherokee Trail

Route from Arkansas, sw Missouri, east Texas, and Cherokee Nation to the California goldfields. Joined main California Trail at Fort Bridger, Wyoming. Used 1849 to 1900. See Cherokee Trail Diaries Vol I-II, and Vol III.

Mountain Meadows Association

Dedicated to the preservation of the memory of those who lost their lives in the Mountain Meadows Massacre and the preservation of all sites associated with the Baker-Fancher Wagon Train. Our members are from both sides of the event and have come together for understanding and forgiveness.

Oregon-California Trails Association Online Store: Maps of the California Trail (spiral bound)

Paper Trail - Pioneer Wagon Train Diaries $

Paper Trail is the website database created by the Oregon-California Trails Association from thousands of trail-related documents of the mid-19th century western migration. Whether people traveled west for gold, land, religious freedom or new opportunity, they wrote diaries, letters, articles and recollections about the journey. From over 3,500 original documents Paper Trail organizes information into an easy-to-search database, featuring names, dates, routes, travel parties, locations and interesting features. The website also lists the library where each document or its copies may be found. The information from each document is accessible by subject codes and by a 6-page outline survey of each document in the Paper Trail website. Names searches are free. Reports require modest subscription.

The California Trail

Map and description of route by Beverly Whitaker.