Goodale's Cutoff Marker

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Near Carey in Blaine County, Idaho — The American West (Mountains)

Goodale's Cutoff

By Michael Stroud, July 1997

1. Goodale's Cutoff Marker

Inscription. When emigrants began to take their westbound wagons along an old Indian and trapper’s trail past this lava, they had to develop a wild and winding road.

At this spot, like many others, they had hardly enough space to get by. At times, they could not avoid lava stretches. But they slowly crept along, leaving their road strewn with parts of broken wagons. J.C. Merrill noted in 1864 that “at one place we were obliged to drive over a huge rock just a little wider than the wagon. Had we gone a foot to the right or to the left, the wagon would have rolled over.

Erected by Idaho Historical Society. (Marker Number 354.)

Marker series. This marker is included in the Oregon Trail marker series.

Location. 43° 22.778′ N, 113° 43.239′ W. Marker is near Carey, Idaho, in Blaine County. Marker is on U.S. 20/26, on the right when traveling west. Click for map. Marker is in this post office area: Carey ID 83320, United States of America.

Regarding Goodale's Cutoff. Goodale's Cutoff departed the Oregon Trail at Fort Hall, crossed the Snake River Plain past Southern Butte to Lost River, and then headed west across the Camas Prairie. Camas Prairie provided an approach to the Boise region that stayed north of the broad valley of the Snake. The cutoff rejoined the Oregon Trail at Ditto Creek. The 230-mile journey typically took two to three weeks.

July 5, 2003

2. Goodale's Cutoff Marker

Also see . . .
1. Oregon Trail. Goodale's Cutoff (Submitted on January 9, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)

2. National Park Service Website article about Goodale's Cutoff. Goodale's Cutoff is visible at many points along Highway, 20/26/93 between Craters of the Moon National Monument and Carey. (Submitted on January 9, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)

3. Wikipedia entry for Snake River Plain. Idaho Valcanoes (Submitted on January 9, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)

3. The Cutoff

By Michael Stroud, July 1997

4. Lava Fields

– Goodale’s Cutoff was a pass through the lava fields

More Lava Fields Photo, Click for full size

By Michael Stroud, July 1997

5. More Lava Fields

Credits. This page originally submitted on January 9, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,467 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on January 9, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 2. submitted on January 9, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 9, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.