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National Historic Trail sites near Guernsey, Wyoming

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Guernsey, Wyoming, is a small town situated along the North Platte River and the Great Platte River Road, a significant historic route followed by travelers on the Oregon, California, Pony Express, and Mormon Pioneer national historic trails. Visitors have the opportunity to explore several notable trail related sites in the area, including Oregon Trail Ruts State Park, Register Cliff State Park, and Guernsey State Park, each showcasing the remnants and legacy of westward expansion.

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A channel 3 feet wide by 1 foot deep carved in white and gray rock, in a landscape of yellow grass and evergreen trees and shrubs.

Ruts carved by the wagon wheels of thousands of overland travelers show mark the landscape around Guernsey, Wyoming. NPS Photo

Guernsey, Wyoming, is situated along the North Platte River and the “Great Platte River Road”, a significant historic route followed by travelers on the Oregon, California, Pony Express, and Mormon Pioneer national historic trails.

The small town is located along US 26, about 100 miles north of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and 66 miles west of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The area is rich with history, featuring trail ruts, rock inscriptions, forts, and monuments that commemorate gravesites, campsites, and mail stations, all evidence of the thousands of overland travelers who once journeyed through this corridor.

Explore the site listed below to find out more and to plan your visit. Looking to learn more?
Read or Listen: National Historic Trail Exhibits near Guernsey, Wyoming

Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites, & Trails

  • Guernsey Ruts/Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site — Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site, also called the Guernsey Ruts, is located where the geography of the area forced the Oregon Trail to change course. At this point, the Trail was blocked from continuing along the North Platte River by a steep ridge of sandstone rock. It had to go up and over the ridge in order to continue heading west.
  • Register Cliff Historic Site — Following a day's journey from Fort Laramie, emigrants spent the night at Register Cliff , which rises one hundred feet above the North Platte River valley. The soft, chalky limestone rock made it easy for emigrants to inscribe their names into the cliff before continuing on their journey. The earliest signatures date to the late 1820s when trappers and fur traders passed through the area.
  • Fort Laramie National Historic Site, the Oregon Trail — Fort Laramie once stood sentinel over the Oregon, California, and Mormon emigration trails; was a stop on the Pony Express route; and served as a staging ground for both peaceful and hostile dealings with Plains Indians. Its association with important figures, including Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, and historic events makes Fort Laramie an icon of the American West.

Guernsey State Park

Guernsey State Park is home to the historic Guernsey Museum. The Guernsey Museum is a historic “trail side” museum constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This unique structure is maintained and presented as is was originally designed some 80 years ago.

Learn more about the National Historic Trails

A map of multiple trails covering the western part of the United States.

Learn more about historic trails!

### National Trails

A large covered wagon in a flat desert.

Explore history on the Trail

### Oregon National Historic Trail

A steep-walled canyon, covered with green vegetation, under a blue sky.

Explore history on the Trail

### Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail

A cowboy rides a horse in a vast shrub desert plain.

Explore history on the Trail

### Pony Express National Historic Trail

A covered wagon in front of a landscape of boulders and rocky outcroppings.

Explore history on the Trail

### California National Historic Trail

Where this belongs

  • California National Historic Trail
  • Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail
  • Oregon National Historic Trail
  • Pony Express National Historic Trail

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