Trail A Stop 1
Welcome to the Walk to the Rock Trail System at Chimney Rock National Historic Site, one of the most storied and photographed landmarks in the American West.This 1.5-mile journey—Trail A—follows in the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of emigrants who passed near this very site during the 1800s on their way to Oregon, California, and Utah.But this is more than a walk through history. This trail—and the land it crosses—is owned and stewarded by the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation, a nonprofit working statewide to preserve Nebraska’s places, stories, and cultural legacy. From educational grants to immersive tours, NSHSF helps ensure that history remains accessible and meaningful to all.So take your time, look around, and open your imagination. As we begin, remember: you're walking not just a trail - but through time.For travelers along the north side of the North Platte River, Chimney Rock often appeared like a mirage—visible from up to 30 miles away. This narrow spire of clay and stone signaled progress. It lifted spirits. It offered proof that the journey was advancing.From here, look north toward the river—lined with cottonwoods and willows. The Oregon Trail followed its course, not out of beauty, but necessity. The river provided fresh water and flat terrain, making it one of the few reliable pathways across the Great Plains.The trail itself passed 2.5 miles north of Chimney Rock. But many emigrants detoured, camping nearby and walking to the base. Some carved their names. A few tried to climb it. Most simply stood in wonder.There was also a deadline. Emigrants needed to pass Chimney Rock by early to mid-June. Any later, and they risked winter storms before crossing the western mountains.
Trail A Stop 2
Before emigrants reached this point, they had already made life-altering decisions. Most departed from Independence, Missouri or Council Bluffs, Iowa, known as "jumping-off points." There, families sold their homes, bought wagons, gathered supplies, and joined wagon trains—traveling groups of up to 100 wagons.These "companies" moved at the pace of their slowest wagon—often covering 10 to 20 miles a day. Their journeys would stretch four to six months, shaped by weather, terrain, and human endurance.While horses and mules were prized for speed, most emigrants relied on oxen: hardy, slow-moving, and far cheaper. A team of four oxen pulled a wagon weighed down with food, tools, bedding, and everything a family would need to start over.From here, they still had more than a thousand miles to go.
Trail A Stop 3
No landmark on the trail captured the imagination like Chimney Rock. Emigrants wrote about it more than any other, often using vivid and poetic language.“Like Trinity Church steeple in New York City.” – McKeeby, 1850“A funnel-shaped mass of clay.” – Taylor, 1853“Its top gilded by the setting sun, looking like its crest was burnished with gold.” – Anderson, 1858But they also worried about its future:“Every year washes away some of its glory... In a few years this part of the rock will fall.” – Bird, 1853They were partially right. Erosion has shortened the spire since the 1800s. Made of Brule clay, volcanic ash, sandstone, and limestone, Chimney Rock is geologically fragile. Names carved into the soft base have long since washed away.Still, the Rock stands - its symbolism undiminished, its story ongoing.
Trail A Stop 4
Everyday life on the trail brought strange new realities. One of the most surprising? The absence of wood.Once emigrants reached the Platte River valley, they had to cook without it. Their solution: buffalo chips—dried bison dung. It took 15 to 20 chips just to boil a pot of coffee.Fires were sparked with flint and steel, by focusing sunlight through a lens, or—after the 1850s—using matches. These early matches were called "Lucifers", known for their unpredictable explosions and a smell travelers never forgot.Look south as you walk. Some emigrants noted a strange erosion mark on the hill—a shape resembling an arrowhead, or perhaps a heart. What do you see?Even through dust, hunger, and the daily grind, emigrants found wonder in the land around them.- - -Packing for the trail required careful thought. Food had to last months and survive heat, jostling, and spoilage. Travelers packed flour, bacon, dried beans, rice, salt, vinegar, saleratus, pickles, even dried codfish.A typical day’s meals?Breakfast: Coffee, bacon, pilot bread.Lunch: Cold beans, leftover meat.Supper: Tea, boiled rice, dried beef.And with all this planning, nothing could fully prepare them for the risks.Cholera was the most feared killer—especially during the epidemics of 1849 to 1853. Other deaths came from drownings, gun accidents, or being crushed beneath wagon wheels.Yet despite the hardships, over half a million people made the journey between the 1840s and 1860s—each with a reason to keep moving forward.
Trail A Stop 5
Why go through all this? For many, it was hope—hope for land, a better climate, a new start. People left behind farms they couldn’t afford, climates that made them sick, or debts they couldn’t pay. Some simply followed opportunity, wherever it led.The trail changed everyone who walked it. By the time they reached Chimney Rock, they were leaner, tougher, and more certain of the journey’s cost.Today, the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation honors that legacy by protecting this site and telling the fuller, more inclusive story of those who passed by—emigrants, Native peoples, missionaries, and others whose lives touched this landscape.If this experience has moved you, please consider a $5 donation per person to help preserve the Walk to the Rock Trail System and support educational efforts statewide.To give, scan the QR code on the signage or visit nshsf.org.Thank you for walking with us—through time, through memory, and through the heart of Nebraska history.
