Walked from the RV Park over to Fort Bridger State Park. The original trading post was started by Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez in 1843 and would become a main hub of westward expansion. It was used by mountain men and Indians as well as Western emigrants, Mormon pioneers, the US Army, the Pony Express, the Overland Stage and the Union Pacific Railroad. The Oregon Trail headed Northwest from here with its 500,000 pioneers between 1840 and 1869. The Mormon Trail (70,000 Mormons going to Utah), the California Trail (emigrants and gold miners heading to California), Pony Express and Overland Stage headed Southwest from here. The Trading Post was obtained by the Mormons in the 1850’s and then became a Military Outpost in 1858. The Fort was closed in 1890. It is hard to believe this little town today of 325 people at 6,675 feet in elevation and virtually in the middle of nowhere was the intersection for 100’s of thousands of emigrants moving West. There were great displays of what life looked like during those times and an extensive museum.
