The 'Oregon Trail' finished in the Columbia River area of Oregon, where did it start?
Route of the Oregon Trail Route of the Oregon Trail The historic Oregon Trail connected various towns along the Missouri River to Oregon's Willamette Valley. It was used during the 19th century by Great Plains pioneers who were seeking fertile land in the West and North. As the trail developed it became marked by numerous cutoffs and shortcuts from Missouri to Oregon. The basic route follows river valleys as grass and water were absolutely necessary. While the first few parties organized and departed from Elm Grove, the Oregon Trail's primary starting point was Independence, Missouri, or Kansas City (Missouri), on the Missouri River. Later, several
History of the Oregon Trail cache most of their goods and walk the rest of the way to the Columbia River where they made new boats and traveled to the newly established Fort Astoria. The expedition demonstrated that much of the route along the Snake River plain and across to the Columbia was passable by pack train or with minimal improvements, even wagons. This knowledge would be incorporated into the concatenated trail segments as the Oregon Trail took its early shape. In early 1811, the supply ship "Tonquin" left supplies and men to establish Fort Astoria (Oregon) at the mouth of the Columbia River and