Near Thermopolis in Hot Springs County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Bridger Trail - Bighorn River Crossing
Within months following the 1863 gold discovery at Alder Gulch located in present day Montana, a flood of miners and settlers were traveling to the mining communities of Bannack and Virginia City. Jim Bridger blazed a new trail in 1864. His trail through the Bighorn Basin west of the Big Horn Mountains avoided Sioux Indian hostility along the Oregon Trail-Fort Hall-Bannack road which lies to the west.
Use of the Bridger Trail was short-lived. However many variants evolved from the trail in the 1880s and 1890s. The trail was the ancestor of a freighting network that connected remote ranches and early communities with Casper, Wyoming, and Billings, Montana.
Jim Bridger was the most renowned mountain man, explorer, and guide of all the American West. His trail served as a safer route for emigration to Montana during a period of Native American resistance to Euro American encroachment. Equally important the trail acted as a foundation for the development of late nineteenth century transportation routes that made settlement possible in a region previously lacking any system of roads.
This interpretive sign is part of historic site mitigation funded by Express Pipeline Inc.
Erected by Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Roads & Vehicles.
Location. 43° 46.632′ N, 108° 10.824′ W. Marker is near Thermopolis, Wyoming, in Hot Springs County. Marker is on U.S. 20 near Gebo Oil Field Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1020 US Highway 20, Thermopolis WY 82443, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. White Sulphur Springs (approx. 8.1 miles away); Hot Springs State Park (approx. 8.4 miles away); Joe Sneider Point (approx. 8˝ miles away); Washakie's Bath House (approx. 8˝ miles away); Ancient Red Rocks (approx. 8˝ miles away); Healing Waters (approx. 8˝ miles away); "The Hot Springs" (approx. 8˝ miles away); 1916 Swinging Bridge (approx. 8˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Thermopolis.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 13, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 13, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 474 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 13, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.