Bird's eye view of the park

Wildcat Hills Designated Routes

The Salt Lake Cut-Off on the California National Historic Trail is one of the
many shortcuts that branched from the California, Mormon and Oregon Trails. It
led northwest out of Salt Lake City, Utah and north of the Great Salt Lake for
about 180 miles (290 km) before rejoining the Ft. Hall route of the California
Trail near the City of Rocks, Idaho.

In 1848, a recently discovered pack train route was blazed into a passable
wagon road by members of the Mormon Battalion returning from California to
Salt Lake. Word spread quickly that a good road with good grass and water was
passable out of Salt Lake City back to the California or Oregon Trail. When
the gold-crazy emigrants of 1849 heard of this new route to the California
gold fields, many thousands detoured to Salt Lake City to get new supplies and
livestock. Mormons in Utah set up a thriving trading business with the new
influx of emigrant trains.

The Salt Lake Cut-Off on the California National Historic Trail is one of the many shortcuts that branched from the California, Mormon and Oregon Trails. It led northwest out of Salt Lake City, Utah and north of the Great Salt Lake for about 180 miles (290 km) before rejoining the Ft. Hall route of the California Trail near the City of Rocks, Idaho. </p>In 1848, a recently discovered pack train route was blazed into a passable wagon road by members of the Mormon Battalion returning from California to Salt Lake. Word spread quickly that a good road with good grass and water was passable out of Salt Lake City back to the California or Oregon Trail. When the gold-crazy emigrants of 1849 heard of this new route to the California gold fields, many thousands detoured to Salt Lake City to get new supplies and livestock. Mormons in Utah set up a thriving trading business with the new influx of emigrant trains.

California National Historic Trail (NHT), Salt Lake Cut-Off

The Hastings Cutoff route was used from 1846 to 1850 by pioneers and gold
rushers attempting to save 300 miles off the normal route to California via
Idaho. This route was first pioneered by the Fremont expedition in 1845 and
promoted a year later by the ambitious Lansford W. Hastings as a shorter route
to the Humboldt River in Nevada. However, the Hastings Cutoff involved a
perilous 90-mile waterless trek across the Great Salt Lake Desert sand dunes
and mud flats in mid-summer heat with heavy wagons. The arduous crossing
proved to be agonizing for emigrant parties, and many valuable livestock and
wagons were lost to the merciless, punishing desert heat.

The Hastings Cutoff route was used from 1846 to 1850 by pioneers and gold rushers attempting to save 300 miles off the normal route to California via Idaho. This route was first pioneered by the Fremont expedition in 1845 and promoted a year later by the ambitious Lansford W. Hastings as a shorter route to the Humboldt River in Nevada. However, the Hastings Cutoff involved a perilous 90-mile waterless trek across the Great Salt Lake Desert sand dunes and mud flats in mid-summer heat with heavy wagons. The arduous crossing proved to be agonizing for emigrant parties, and many valuable livestock and wagons were lost to the merciless, punishing desert heat.

California National Historic Trail

The Bidwell-Bartelson Route of the California National Historic Trail was used
by the first overland emigrant party to travel to California in 1841. At Fort
Hall, near present-day Pocatello, Idaho, about half of the original party
changed their plans and decided to take the easier trail to the Oregon
territory. The remainder of the Bartleson-Bidwell party determined to continue
to California and headed west along the north shore of the Great Salt Lake.
The route was entirely unknown and water sources were scarce. Finally crossing
the desert west of the lake near Wendover, Nevada, they were forced to abandon
their wagons. Accompanied by their surviving animals, they eventually found
their way through the Ruby Mountains to the Humboldt River and ascended the
Sierra Nevada Mountains near the Walker River into California. Most of them
were nearly dead from starvation and exhaustion by the time they made it back
to civilization.

The Bidwell-Bartelson Route of the California National Historic Trail was used by the first overland emigrant party to travel to California in 1841. At Fort Hall, near present-day Pocatello, Idaho, about half of the original party changed their plans and decided to take the easier trail to the Oregon territory. The remainder of the Bartleson-Bidwell party determined to continue to California and headed west along the north shore of the Great Salt Lake. The route was entirely unknown and water sources were scarce. Finally crossing the desert west of the lake near Wendover, Nevada, they were forced to abandon their wagons. Accompanied by their surviving animals, they eventually found their way through the Ruby Mountains to the Humboldt River and ascended the Sierra Nevada Mountains near the Walker River into California. Most of them were nearly dead from starvation and exhaustion by the time they made it back to civilization.

Wildcat Hills Designated Routes

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Nearby Parks

California National Historic Trail (NHT), Salt Lake Cut-Off

California National Historic Trail

California National Historic Trail (NHT), Bidwell-Bartelson Route