South Pass, Wyoming

In the American west the route through South Pass, Wyoming was one of the great discoveries for the American West.
South Pass was known and used by Indians and fur trappers for years. South Pass, Wyoming became a major route for The Oregon Trail and The Mormon Trail.
South Pass was discovered in 1812 and then rediscovered in 1824 by trappers led by Jedediah Smith. They were searching for a winter crossing through the Wind River Mountain Range in Wyoming.

Captain Bonneville took the first wagons over South Pass in 1832. However it wasn't until 1842 that it became a regular route or trail. When news reached the eastern United States that the South Pass in Wyoming could handle wagons, hundreds of people headed for Oregon, California, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. Nearly all of the emigrant journals record traveling over the South Pass.
The use of the South Pass lasted for twenty years.

The first campsite for travelers on The Oregon Trail, after crossing South Pass, Wyoming was Pacific Springs. Pacific Springs, Wyoming was also the first watering hole they would pass after leaving South Pass.

Pacific Springs provided a good campsite for wagon trains and their livestock. Although hundreds of miles lie ahead, Pacific Springs was a landmark. From here water flowed towards the Pacific Ocean via the Green River and the Colorado River.

• The Dominguez-Escalante Expeditions Journal:

Through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico in 1776

• I Walked to Zion:
- Young Pioneers on the Mormon Trail

• The Gathering of Zion:
- The Story of the Mormon Trail

• National Geographic's Guide to:
- Lewis and Clark Trail

• Hiking Historic Trails
- Utah's Favorite Hiking Trails

• Scenic Driving - Travel guides
- Scenic Driving in Utah

• Historical reading
- The Old Spanish Trail

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