The Oregon Trail passed through the southern part of what is now Idaho. The Idaho portion of the Oregon Trail crossed deserts, mountains, and dangerous river crossings. There were cutoffs, alternate routes and connecting trails. The trails were not like modern roads that follow one line. If a valley was ten miles wide, so was the trail. If a canyon or ford was narrow, so was the trail.
        These maps of the trails show modern county lines. I have included modern roads, towns, and man-made bodies of water as reference points. Remember, the terrain was much different in 1850.

Smith's Fort: Trading post owned by mountain man Peg Leg Smith who supplied travelers 1848-1849. See Bear Lake County.

Sheep Rock: Named for mountain sheep seen by early travelers. Now called Soda Point, it is not far from the modern town of Soda Springs. Hudspeth's Cutoff branches from the main trail here. See Caribou County.

Soda Springs: Steamboat Spring and Beer Spring were dubbed the Soda Springs because they bubbled out of the ground. Now covered by the Soda Point Reservoir. The modern town of Soda Springs gets its name from these springs. See Caribou County.

American Falls: These falls were mentioned in the diaries of immigrants traveling the trails. See Power County.

Massacre Rocks: 25 families from Iowa were attacked here August, 1862. See Power County.

Fort Hall: Founded in 1834 by Nathaniel Wyeth. Later purchased by the Hudson's Bay Company. Abandoned in 1856. Not the same location as the modern town of Fort Hall. See Bannock County.

Twin Springs: A welcome end to a stretch of desert along Hudspeth's Cutoff. See Oneida County.

City of Rocks: Formations of soft granite. See Cassia County.

Salmon Falls: Famous Indian fishing spot where travelers traded for fresh food. Not the same location as the modern town of Salmon. See Twin Falls County.

Twin Falls: Side by side waterfalls make the reason for the name obvious. See Twin Falls County.

Shoshone Falls: An impressive waterfall dropping into the Snake River Canyon. Worth a side trip by wagon or car.

Thousand Springs: A series of waterfalls coming from the wall of the Snake River Canyon. See Twin Falls County.

Three Island Crossing: Three small islands in the Snake River give this river ford its name. See Elmore County.

Hot Springs: East of the modern town of Mountain Home. Not the same hot spring as Lava Hot Springs. See Elmore County.

Givens Hot Springs: On the southern alternate route. See Ada County.

Fort Boise: Established in 1834 by the Hudson's Bay Company. Not the same location as the modern city of Boise. See Canyon County.

The National Oregon/California Trail Center at Clover Creek in Montpelier, Idaho

The Crossing, Oregon Trail Interpretive Center for Idaho at Three Island State Park

Three Island Crossing State Park

The Oregon Trail Home Page

Massacre Rocks State Park

In Search of the Oregon Trail  ^PBS

Links to the Oregon Trail