The Santa Fe Trail

Busiest & well known trail

Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico 780 miles

kEy trails west

The Oregon Trail

Started from Independence, Missouri ended in Portland, Oregon

The California Trail

Greatest mass migration in American history

About 2,000 miles, gold seekers and farmers

Across the western half of the Missouri River to the state of California

Old Spanish Trail 

Trade route linking Santa Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles, California 

Split into two routes

Mormon trail 

Followed the Oregon trail and branched off down to the Great Salt a Lake 

1,300 miles long extends from Illinois to Utah 

Mormons wanted to find an isolated area to settle permanently and practice their religion