Fort Bridger, Wyoming, to Salt Lake
Orson Pratt led the forward party that entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 22, 1847. Their route into the valley was over Big Mountain and down through Emigration Canyon. Brigham Young was delayed by illness and entered the valley on July 24.
1. This Is The Place Monument
On July 24, 1847, Brigham Young's group went down the north bank of Emigration Creek to a spot near where the monument now stands. This Is The Place Heritage Park
2. Donner Hill
Just before the mouth of Emigration Canyon the pioneers found wagon tracks going over a very steep hill (#2). On August 21, 1846, the Donner-Reed party, despairing of cutting through the final tangle of brush, double-teamed their tired oxyen to pull their wagons out of the canyon into the Salt Lake valley.
3. Little Mountain
Wagons could not sidehill to the top of Little Mountain as the present road does. Instead, the trail continued down the canyon bottom, now under Little Dell Reservoir, to an area below the dam. There the pioneers hitched multiple teams of stock together to pull the wagons straight up the slope. On the summit, they locked their wheels for brakes and slid straight down the other side into Emigration Canyon.
4. Willow Springs
Good water and adequate forage were extremely important for emigrants and their animals. Willow Springs, in the canyon below, provided plenty of cold spring water, abundant grass in a large meadow, and a good place to camp. It was the most important campground and resting spot on the trail between Large Spring Camp and Emigration Canyon.
5. Big Mountain Pass
From this vantage point the pioneers caught their first glimpse of the valley and the Great Salt Lake. As you stand on the summit gazing out at the valley, look down at the western slope and remember that the wagons had no switchbacks cut in the side of the hill. They had to go straight down that hill, and on the way back east they had to go straight up the hill.
The 1,300 mile route is a part of the United States National Trails System. For information on the Mormon Trail contact:
National Park Service
Long Distance Trails Office
324 South State Street, Suite 250
Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0155
801 539-4095
MOPI_Interpretation@nps.gov
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