Idaho Trails


Idaho Pioneer Trails Auto Tour


Thousands of Oregon and California Trail pioneers trekked across what is today Idaho from 1841-1869. The pioneers followed high plains overlooking deep Snake River canyons.

Oregon Trail pioneers continued along the Snake River to the high desert country of eastern Oregon. The California ‘49ers’ left the Oregon Trail at the Raft River Valley, west of today’s American Falls. They went southwest and passed the natural rock formations at today’s City of Rocks National Reserve near the southwestern border of today’s Idaho.

Visitors can see portions of the Oregon Trail just as the early explorers and pioneers, thanks to the management, protection and interpretive services of the Idaho office of Bureau of Land Management (BLM). BLM’s 102-mile Main Oregon Trail Back Country Byway leads from the bluffs overlooking the Three Island Crossing of the Snake River at Glenns Ferry to the scenic bluff providing a panoramic view of today’s Boise at Bonneville Point recreation area providing a scenic overlook of today’s Boise.

Idaho’s Pioneer Trails country has something for everyone…from historic sites that inspire, outdoor recreation that’s fun for the whole family, to mountain vistas that will leave you breathless.

It’s all here to see and enjoy in Idaho’s Pioneer Trails country!


Discover Idaho’s Pioneer Trails…

Idaho Pioneer Trail Map