While DH and I were in eastern Oregon we took The 2 Doods out to run off some energy out by the White Swan Mine. Out in that area you can still see the path that the Oregon Trail created through the sage brush. Shows how long it takes a desert to recover.

Amazingly enough....our GPS recognized it too. Part of the White Swan Mine road is on the trail itself.

It's not just the desert that takes a long time to recover. There are several places where the ruts of the Sante Fe trail are still visible too.

That's so cool. I used to live in Pilot Rock in eastern OR and it was named that because it was one of the markers for the Oregon Trail Travelers. Thanks for sharing.

I want to do the Oregon trail so bad when I retire! There used to be a game kids could play but I can't find the old version I liked so much.

Youkon is gorgeous I could just pet him/her all day long. I miss my dogs!

Lovely....and thank you for giving a name to the brush....I saw some on a road trip in Oregon and didn't know the name. Now I can label the photos of the sage brush plants.

Parts of Nebraska still have ruts also. They are south of the Platte river near Sutherland, NE. I think it is so cool that parts of that giant expansion of our nation still exist.

I'll bet there are still ruts from most of those trails if you know where to look. Some of the ruts got pretty deep.

I've seen the trail in Wyoming.In the lime stone where the wagon wheels traveled.Connie in CO

Here are some Sage Hens too. Pretty rare birds but making a comeback. They are the ones that do the stick the tail up, stomping feet, puffing out chest - mating dance. DH says they look like a 747 with short wings-to heavy to fly. You can see a few along the horizon. We would see a group every morning if we were the first out....otherwise they were already scared off.