Recommended Books about the Oregon Trail
Guidebooks are of great value to any serious traveler.
Information is available on the Web, of course, but having a guide handy
during a period of extended travel is a significent help in getting the most
out of a trip. On this page we have selected what we consider to be
informative books about the Oregon Trail. Paying $40 to $50 for
several guide books is a small part of the overall cost of a major trip.
A good guide book will save you time and allow you to enjoy sites you may
well miss. In our own case, finding out about the trail ruts through
the golf course in Soda Springs, Idaho, was justification for the three
guide books we purchased prior to departing on our own Oregon Trail
adventure.
Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges,
7th ed. by David and
Kay Scott. An in depth review of every national park lodging facility from
Yellowstone icon Old Faithful Inn to Rocky Knob Cabins on the Blue Ridge
Parkway. Includes information about capacity, handicap access, activities,
rates, food service, and making reservations. Advice on which rooms to
request based on views, size, etc. Also, considerations in choosing a place to stay when two or more lodges are
in the same park. A valuable resource
for anyone considering a trip to a national park.
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Traveling the Oregon Trail, 2nd
ed.
by Julie Fanselow. A useful guide written for
travelers who wish to follow the Oregon Trail from Independence to Oregon
City. Information about trail history, sites to visit, and nearby
stops that are worthwhile to visit. Although the book has a 2001
copyright, things haven't changed a great deal on the trail during the last
decade.
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The Oregon Trail
by Francis Parkman. Written in 1847, this book
chronicles the trip of an easterner as he travels west on the Oregon
Trail. Parkman does an excellent job of describing the people, the
events, and the hardships of traveling west in the mid-1880s.
Considered a classic book about the Oregon Trail.
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this book from Amazon
The
Oregon Trail Revisited,
by Gregory Franzwa.
This is simply the very best book you can have at hand when traveling the
Oregon Trail. The author (now deceased) almost certainly knew the
trail better than anyone and his experience in seeking out the route of the
pioneers is unsurpassed. One omission is the route from The Dalles to
Oregon City via the Barlow Road, the path we took during our own trip.
Franzwa indicates every turn and crossing along the trail.
Unfortunately, the book is no longer in print.
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The St. Joe Road
by Jacqueline Lewin and Marilyn Taylor. An
excellent guide if you will be beginning a trip west from St. Joseph,
Missouri. St. Joe was a major jumping-off point for the Oregon
Trail beginning in 1850 following the discovery of gold in California.
This book follows the trail from St. Joseph to Marysville, Kansas, where
it meets up with the trail from Independence.
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Wagons West
by Frank McLynn. An historical recounting of pioneers on the
Oregon and California Trails, along with the Mormon migration of the mid
1800s. Relates the hardships of pioneers as they
headed to Oregon and California in the wagon trains.
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