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The Lander Road, California National Historic Trail

California National Historic Trail

A working ranch consisting of several buildings and structures surrounded by grass and low-lying shrubs in a valley edged by short, rolling hills.
Today’s Burnt Ranch marks the Wyoming end of the Lander Road. In the 1860s, during the Road’s main period of use, this location was known as South Pass Station. It was an important stop for all trail travelers, including the Pony Express, which had a station here.

NPS Photo/ Frank Norris

The Lander Road, also known as the Lander Trail or Lander Cutoff, was the first US government-sponsored road for emigrants heading to Oregon and California. The Lander Road gave travelers on the Oregon Trail and the California Trail a straight path through the mountain ranges in southwestern Wyoming and southeastern Idaho. Prior to its completion in 1858, trail travelers were forced to go around the southern end of these rugged mountains. By eliminating this detour, the Lander Road shortened the route by 60 miles! Additionally, the Lander Road avoided the dry, summer desert conditions found along the detour, providing emigrants with more food and water for both their livestock and themselves.

The Lander Road project started in 1857 when Frederick W. Lander was sent west from Washington, D.C. His assigned task was to survey several routes between Wyoming and Idaho for the purpose of reducing the length of the combined Oregon and California Trails. Lander selected the most suitable route and began its construction in 1858. This new segment was officially called the "Fort Kearney, South Pass, and Honey Lake Wagon Road." It departed from the main branch of the combined trails at South Pass Station (which is now known as Burnt Ranch), Wyoming and then rejoined the main branch 265 miles later near Fort Hall, Idaho.

Lander used a work crew of more than 100 people to build the road. In total, the workers moved over 80,000 tons of rock and soil, removed miles of timber and willows, and built several bridges. They also leveled the road the best they could for emigrants and their wagons. By using several existing Native American trails to reduce the workload, Lander and his work crew completed most of the work in 1858. The project was completed the following year, 1859, with improvements made to the route between South Pass, Wyoming and City of Rocks, Idaho. Emigrant wagon trains actually began using the road before it was finished and continued to do so throughout the 1860s. In the 1870s and beyond, large herds of cattle, horses, and sheep traveled over the Lander Road in both directions.

Today, the Lander Road is an official part of the California National Historic Trail. Parts of it still exist in local roads and state highways. Remnants of the actual road, in the form of trail ruts and swales, are visible in several locations. The area continues to be very rural and remote; before heading out on a Lander Road adventure, visit Wyoming History for detailed route and travel information.

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    • Sites: California National Historic Trail, Oregon National Historic Trail
    Composite image of multiple historic landscape photos.

    The year 1858 saw the first US government sponsored road (trail) for the emigrant routes to Oregon and California. This road was a cutoff that provided trail travelers with a new, and 60 miles shorter, route between South Pass, Wyoming and Fort Hall, Idaho. It only took one year to make this 256 mile route, which soon became named after the person in charge of constructing it- Frederick W Lander.

    • Sites: California National Historic Trail, Oregon National Historic Trail
    A headstone sitting in a grassy area.

    John Lane was representative of how 1800s emigrants, miners, and travelers viewed the California Trail. To them, it was more of a road to follow, rather than a once-in-a-lifetime journey. Lane traveled either the Oregon Trail or the California Trail five different times during his life. But, Lane was not representative of the average trail traveler, which is only known from how he was buried.

    • Sites: California National Historic Trail, Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, Oregon National Historic Trail
    A small ranch in a high desert setting with distant hills.

    Located along the Sweetwater River, almost at the edge of the Continental Divide, Burnt Ranch was a key spot along the route to the west coast. Geography and human events made it one of the places contributing significantly to the growth and ultimate power of young nation.

Last updated: November 16, 2023