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A white canvas wagon sits in front of a large rock buttress with mountains in the distance.

Wagon at Register Rock in City of Rocks National Reserve

A still creek winds through brown rolling hills.

A creek in Carlin Canyon, Nevada on the California Trail

A dirt road passes through sagebrush and a white post with a mountain in the background.

Trail ruts on through Humboldt Wells in Nevada

A rock buttress with a notch in it surrounded by sagebrush flats.

Devil's Gate was an important emigrant landmark in Wyoming.

Pine trees partly obscure a distant mountain lake with snow-capped mountains.

View of West Pass on the Carson Route of the California NHT.

Physical Address:

National Trails Office Regions 6|7|8

California National Historic Trail

Santa Fe, NM 87505

Mailing Address:

National Trails Office Regions 6|7|8

California National Historic Trail

Santa Fe, NM 87505

contact-details

Email Address: ntir_information@nps.gov
Description:

Fees

Entrance Fees

Entrance Passes

Follow in the footsteps of over 250,000 emigrants who traveled to the gold fields and rich farmlands of California during the 1840s and 1850s: the greatest mass migration in American history. The California National Historic Trail is over 5,000 miles long and covers portions of 10 states. Step into history along more than 1,000 miles of ruts and traces from travelers and their overland wagons.

park designation:National Historic Trail

Directions:

Those portions of the California National Historic Trail authorized by Congress include nearly 2,000 miles of historic trail that was once the primary "road" taken by farmers, enterprising business managers, gold-seekers, and fortune hunters who chose to make a new life on the California frontier. The route passes through ten states from Missouri to California.

For detailed directions, please visit this link.

Directions

Operating Hours:

California National Historic Trail

The California National Historic Trail is not a clearly marked hiking trail. Instead it is a corridor that passes through communities, urban areas, public lands, and Wilderness. The route travels across a variety of land ownerships and management, including private land. Each location varies as to the hours of operation and access. Please contact individual trail sites before your visit for more information.

Weather Information:

Due to the length of the California National Historic Trail, be sure to consult local weather sources for the region you'll be visiting. Check out the forecast with the National Weather Service and search for the area you'd like to visit: weather.gov