Scotts Bluff

Scotts Bluff. Famous landmark on the Oregon Trail 1840-1860. . The sight of Scotts Bluff thrilled emigrants journeying west on the Oregon Trail. After weeks of plodding across the wild and expansive plains, they were confronted by this massive promontory rising some 800 feet above the valley floor. The clay and sandstone bluffs looked like a dazzling fortress or a high-walled city. . . This impressive landmark was also a barrier. Badlands on the north side of the bluffs were impassible for wagons, and deep ravines ahead barred the way to Mitchell Pass. In the 1840’s wagon trains were forced to bypass this area. With engineering assistance from the U.S. Army, the Oregon Trail opened through Mitchell Pass in 1851. . . Wednesday, June 13, 1849 . “Made about 10 miles; halted about noon opposite Scotch [Scotts] bluffs, . . . a splendid pile of bluffs, probably nearly 400 feet in height, standing in an isolated position; the various views presented as we passed along our route were of large castles with their attendant offices, chapels, etc., magnificently grand, beyond any of the puny works of mortal man . . . . ”- Lucy Foster Sexton . Oregon Trail emigrant.