Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail in Illinois State

Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail

The Mormon Trail is the 1,300-mile (2,100 km) long route from Illinois to Utah that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traveled for 3 months.

Plan Around Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail

A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.

Add to tripView park guide

Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.

Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail Details

The Mormon Trail is the 1,300-mile (2,100 km) long route from Illinois to Utah that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traveled for 3 months. Today, the Mormon Trail is a part of the United States National Trails System, known as the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail. The Mormon Trail extends from Nauvoo, Illinois, which was the principal settlement of the Latter Day Saints from 1839 to 1846, to Salt Lake City, Utah, which was settled by Brigham Young and his followers beginning in 1847. From Council Bluffs, Iowa to Fort Bridger in Wyoming, the trail follows much the same route as the Oregon Trail and the California Trail; these trails are collectively known as the Emigrant Trail. The Mormon pioneer run began in 1846, when Young and his followers were driven from Nauvoo. After leaving, they aimed to establish a new home for the church in the Great Basin and crossed Iowa. Along their way, some were assigned to establish settlements and to plant and harvest crops for later emigrants. During the winter of 1846-47, the emigrants wintered in Iowa, other nearby states, and the unorganized territory that later became Nebraska, with the largest group residing in Winter Quarters, Nebraska. In the spring of 1847, Young led the vanguard company to the Salt Lake Valley, which was then outside the boundaries of the United States and later became Utah. During the first few years, the emigrants were mostly former occupants of Nauvoo who were following Young to Utah. Later, the emigrants increasingly included converts from the British Isles and Europe. The trail was used for more than 20 years, until the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869. Among the emigrants were the Mormon handcart pioneers of 1856-60. Two of the handcart companies, led by James G. Willie and Edward Martin, met disaster on the trail when they departed late and were caught by heavy snowstorms in Wyoming.

Difficulty

Open

Distance

N/A

Estimated time

N/A

Region

N/A

Nearby Parks Around Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail

Compare nearby parks around Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.

169.5 mi away

Great Basin

National Park · NV

174.5 mi away

Capitol Reef

National Park · UT

191.6 mi away

Arches

National Park · UT

193.9 mi away

Canyonlands

National Park · UT

208.1 mi away

Grand Teton

National Park · WY

216.7 mi away

Bryce Canyon

National Park · UT

Nearby Points of Interest Around Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail

Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail while the map context is still fresh.

77.8 mi away

Fish Creek Campground

Located just off the Camas Road approximately 2.5 miles from Apgar Village on the west side of the park.

152.6 mi away

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Green River

152.7 mi away

Dinosaur National Monument

Located, appropriately enough, near Dinosaur, Colo., Dinosaur National Monument sits astride the Colorado-Utah border and contains one of the world's greatest troves of dinosaur fossils.

153.9 mi away

First Choice Inns at the Swell

Open point of interest detail

154.0 mi away

Comfort Inn Green River