Wagon Swales

Emigrant trail swales can be seen throughout Scotts Bluff National Monument.

NPS/Eric Grunwald

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

As you continue west along the Oregon Trail Pathway, look off to the left of the trail and you will see a shallow ditch. Here the wagon trail curves to the left. Though Scotts Bluff National Monument once had ruts, pairs of parallel depressions left by wagon wheels, they have all eroded as the sandstone and siltstone that make up the ground through this area is soft and easily eroded. Instead of ruts we see these wide depression known as "swales"

• Wagon Route

  
  

  Stop 11 on the Scotts Bluff National Monument Oregon Trail Pathway Audio Tour

  Credit / Author:

  Audio Recording by Ray Richards

  Date created:

  07/22/2024

  Audio Transcript

  On the last portion of your hike, you walked a segment of the original Oregon Trail.  Hopefully the weather was kind to you today and you didn’t have to fight the strong wind, the lighting, or the heavy rains as the emigrants sometimes did.  Can you imagine how difficult navigating a wagon through the pass would have been in such conditions?

  Take a rest here and enjoy the view of Mitchell Pass behind you. 

  Emigrant travelers would now begin making their way back towards the banks of the North Platte River.  Now you might be asking yourself, “Why didn’t they just stay along the river to begin with?”  The emigrants were avoiding the geologic badland formations found along the south side of the river which made travel along the banks impossible. 

  As you continue this trail look to your left, next to the paved trail in the grass you will see a shallow ditch.  Here the wagon trail curves to the left. At one time parallel wheel ruts could be seen here.  If you are interested in viewing some of the deepest and best-preserved ruts you may want to visit the Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site and National Historic Landmark located near Guernsey, Wyoming.  Though Scotts Bluff once had remarkable ruts they have all but eroded as the surrounding geology is primarily sand and silt stone, this is why we see the swale, that bowl shape indention you walked through at stop number ten.

  Continue along the trail to stop number twelve where we will discuss a treasured trail character.