Discovering Wyoming: Oregon Trail Ruts & Register Cliff State Historic Sites

Millions of travelers drive I25 in Wyoming every year. However, only the smallest fraction of those travelers take the time to discover a simple treasure that hides in plain sight only fifteen miles off the interstate in Guernsey, Wyoming. Both the Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site and Register Cliff are a short drive off the interstate, just outside of Guernsey, and are well worth the stop for any history student or curious adventurer. 

Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site provides those who take the time to visit the opportunity to view and experience some of the best-preserved evidence of the great overland migration of the west. During the mid-1800’s, more than 500,000 pioneers journeyed west. Early pioneers ventured by wagon and on foot across overland trails into the American West. Emigrants following the California Trail, the Oregon Trail, and the Mormon Trail all passed from the plains of the east and into the rugged terrain of Wyoming and the area that is now Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site. The wear of thousands of wagon wheels is clearly visible in soft sandstone rock. Impressive ruts, in some places over five-foot deep, are found just a short walk from the site’s parking area. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975 and today is managed by Wyoming State Parks and Historic Sites & Trails. The site offers a small group picnic shelter and a public restroom. 

Only two miles from The Ruts, history buffs can find Register Cliff State Historic Site (RCSHS). This stop represents one of the best “trail registers in the desert.” Countless emigrants inscribed their names, dates, places of origin and messages into the soft sandstone cliffs. During the peak of the westward movement of the 1840’s and 1850’s, Register Cliff was an important landmark along the California, Oregon and Mormon trails. Situated a day’s travel west of Fort Laramie, the Register Cliff area was an important stopover and resting area for weary travelers to set up camp, to rest, and to pasture their animals. Henry Frederick gifted Register Cliff to the State of Wyoming in 1932. The Frederick family ranching activities continue to this today. In 1970 the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Both of these historical sites provide a glimpse into part of America’s past and connect Wyoming travelers to the spirit of those who traveled this beautiful, if sometimes brutal, part of The West. Open year round from sunrise to sunset with no entrance fee, we highly recommend this hidden treasure stop. 

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