Cherokee Trail – An Alternate Route to the West
The Cherokee Trail stands as a testament to the westward expansion of the United States, a historic overland passage etched across the landscapes of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. Active from the late 1840s to the early 1890s, this trail served as a vital artery for emigrants, gold seekers, and cattle drovers, offering an alternative to the more established and often perilous routes further north. Its story is woven with the dreams of fortune, the resilience of pioneers, and the complex interactions between European settlers and Native American tribes, most notably the Cherokee Nation, from whom the trail derives its name.
The origins of the Cherokee Trail are deeply entwined with the California Gold Rush. Tales of readily available riches, fueled by publications like the Cherokee Advocate, lured many, including Cherokee citizens, westward. One such individual, Lorenzo Delano, even sold his land within the Cherokee Reservation to finance his journey. This "gold fever," as it was sometimes called, sparked a significant migration and the need for more accessible routes to the goldfields. The Cherokee Trail provided just that.
The Cherokee Trail‘s formal establishment can be traced to an 1849 wagon train departing from Washington County, Arkansas. This expedition, comprised of white settlers and Cherokee Indians, sought a new path to the goldfields. Upon reaching Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the group organized themselves, electing Lewis Evans, a former sheriff, as their Captain. This "Evans/Cherokee" Train, also known as the "Washington County Gold Mining Company," consisted of approximately 130 individuals and 40 wagons. They embarked on a journey that would leave an indelible mark on the American West.
Navigating by the journals of explorer John C. Frémont, the initial wagon train forged a path along the Front Range of Colorado. However, diverging from Frémont’s directions near Fort Davy Crockett, they blazed a new route south of Elk Mountain in Wyoming, traversing the challenging Red Desert to reach Fort Bridger. This initial journey established the northern segment of the Cherokee Trail, setting the stage for future migrations.
The Cherokee Trail‘s route can be described in segments. Beginning northwest of the Grand River near present-day Salina, Oklahoma, the trail intersected the Santa Fe Trail at McPherson, Kansas. From there, it followed the Santa Fe Trail westward before turning north along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. This section utilized a portion of the old Trapper’s Trail, ascending to the Arkansas/Platte River divide and descending along Cherry Creek into the South Platte River valley.
In Colorado, the original 1849 trail followed the east side of the South Platte River to present-day Greeley. A wagon road then led westward to Laporte in Larimer County, and further north past Virginia Dale Stage Station towards the Laramie Plains in southeastern Wyoming. The trail then continued northwest, skirting the Medicine Bow Range and crossing the North Platte River before reaching present-day Rawlins, Wyoming. From Rawlins, the trail meandered westward until it converged with the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails near Farson and Fort Bridger, Wyoming.
Not all members of the Cherokee Nation embraced the Gold Rush. Leaders within the tribe expressed concern over the mass exodus to California. Articles in the Cherokee Advocate highlighted the lawlessness and lack of governance in the goldfields, warning of the dangers of "gold fever." The paper lamented the loss of tribal members lured away from their homes by the promise of quick riches. Despite these warnings, the Cherokee Trail continued to attract travelers seeking fortune and a new life in the West.
The year 1850 marked a significant period in the Cherokee Trail‘s history, witnessing a surge in use by gold seekers, emigrants, and cattle drovers from Arkansas, Texas, Missouri, and the Cherokee Nation. The trail also served as an alternative route for those seeking to avoid the cholera epidemic that plagued the more established trails to the north. Four separate wagon trains, comprised of white settlers and Cherokee Indians, traversed the trail that year.
John Lowery Brown, a member of one of these wagon trains, meticulously documented his journey in a diary. Leaving Salina, Oklahoma, around May 22, 1850, his group reached the Santa Fe Trail and proceeded west along the Arkansas River. Passing the remains of Bent’s Fort in Colorado, they continued to Pueblo before heading north along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. Near present-day Denver, the group opted for a more direct route than the Evans party had taken the previous year, crossing the Platte River and heading northwest.
A pivotal moment occurred on June 21, when the wagon train paused at the confluence of two unnamed streams. The following day, Lewis Ralston, an Irishman with Cherokee ancestry, discovered gold while panning in the stream. This discovery, though yielding only a few flakes, led to the naming of the stream "Ralston’s Creek," a significant landmark in Colorado’s gold rush history.
Following Ralston’s discovery, the emigrant party continued north to Laporte and then onto the Laramie Plains. They turned west along the Colorado-Wyoming border via the Fort Laramie Trail to Fort Bridger. The lead wagon company established a new route from Tie Siding to Fort Bridger, which became known as the Southern Cherokee Trail. The wagon train ultimately reached California on September 28, 1850.
The Cherokee Trail, in its northern and southern variations, played a crucial role in facilitating westward migration. It’s important to note that neither route initially utilized Bridger Pass, as it was not accessible to wagons or used by the military until 1858. After that time, a modified version of the Evans 1849 trail, incorporating Bridger Pass, became the preferred route.
Beyond its role in civilian migration, the Cherokee Trail also served military purposes. Captain Randolph B. Marcy utilized the trail as a return route after his expedition through Colorado’s mountains from Fort Bridger to Fort Union, New Mexico, during the winter of 1857-58. This highlights the trail’s strategic importance for military movements and supply lines.
Eight years after his initial journey, Lewis Ralston returned to "Ralston’s Creek" with Green Russell. Members of this party went on to found Auraria, which later merged with Denver in 1858, and played a significant role in triggering the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859. The confluence of Clear Creek and Ralston Creek, the site of Colorado’s first gold discovery, is now located in Arvada, Colorado, serving as a lasting reminder of the trail’s impact.
In the 1860s, segments of the trail stretching from northern Colorado to Fort Bridger in Wyoming were integrated into the Overland Trail, a vital stage route connecting Kansas and Salt Lake City, Utah. During this period, the route was known as the Cherokee/Overland Trail, further solidifying its significance in westward transportation.
During the Civil War, the Cherokee Trail was recommended as the safest route between Denver and the Montana goldfields. The Rocky Mountain News advised travelers to take the Cherokee Trail north from Denver and then follow the route west to Fort Bridger, from where they could head north to Fort Hall, Idaho, and then travel the remaining distance to the mines. Even outlaws, such as L.H. Musgrove, utilized the Cherokee Trail for travel between Colorado and Wyoming during the 1860s.
The completion of the Union Pacific Railroad across southern Wyoming in 1868 marked a turning point in the history of the Cherokee Trail. As the railroad provided a faster and more efficient means of transportation, the emigrant trails gradually lost their significance. Freight roads emerged to serve areas south and north of the railroad, and by 1868, the remaining roads in northwestern Colorado primarily led to Wyoming.
Today, remnants of the Cherokee Trail can still be observed across the landscape. Wagon ruts, swales, cut-down ravines, and altered river banks can be traced from Fort Gibson/Tahlequah, Oklahoma, through Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming, ultimately leading to Fort Bridger, Wyoming. In Colorado, portions of the trail remain visible and walkable in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Larimer Counties. An approximation of the route can be driven on State Highway 83 from Parker near Denver to Colorado Springs. Furthermore, parts of the old trail can be explored on land managed by Wyoming’s Bureau of Land Management, where it is marked with distinctive concrete posts in Sweetwater County. The Cherokee Trail remains a tangible link to the past, allowing us to glimpse the challenges and triumphs of those who ventured west in search of a better future.