California Trail in Nevada
American Indigenous Tourism Association Partnership
In partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, the American Indigenous Tourism Association is working with tribes adjacent to the California National Historic Trail in Nevada to develop cultural heritage content and itineraries for the association’s website, DestinationNativeAmerica.com. The project brings together businesses, attractions, landmarks and other points of interest on and around the trail to help promote sustainable tourism.
Project goals focus on telling a more inclusive story of the ancestral lands along the California Trail and the impact it had on the Nevada’s Native people. To fulfill this objective, a Nevada Native Artist will create a new re-visioned poster that will highlight the history and current cultural connections tribes have to this vast and beautiful landscape.
“We are excited to work with the Bureau of Land Management to help Tribes along the California National Historic Trail in Nevada share their stories,” said Sherry L. Rupert (Paiute/Washoe), Chief Executive Officer of the American Indigenous Tourism Association. “Native Americans are often left out of the historical narrative, so we are thrilled that BLM is looking to deliver a comprehensive inventory of tribal activities and cultural tourism experiences for visitors interested in traveling all or parts of the famed route.”
The association is now reaching out to tribes and tribal businesses and offering FREE listings on DestinationNativeAmerica.com. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity!
The California Trail Interpretive Center in Elko, Nevada, features bronze sculptures as part of its exhibits. These sculptures, created by artists like Sarah Sweetwater and DiAnne Cooper, depict scenes and figures from the California Trail experience.
On the California Trail: Preserving Gravelly Ford
The Oregon-California Trails Association, in cooperation with Nevada Gold Mines, brings you the story of Gravelly Ford, a 19th century California Trail crossing of the Humboldt River. Learn the rich history of the trail and how it impacted Native American Tribes. Gravelly Ford was a Finalist for the 2024 Spur Award for Best Documentary Script. The Spur Awards are the highest honor for Western writing and are given out annually by the Western Writers of America.
Resources
Bureau of Land Management: California National Historic Trail
The California National Historic Trail passes through BLM managed lands in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. The trail was a mid-19th century highway for human movement to lures of gold and farmland in California. Numerous routes emerged in attempts to create the best available course. These fostered commerce and encouraged the development of transportation and communication networks. There were many changes in cultures of Native Americans along the way as hundreds of thousands of people and animals used the trail.
California Trail Interpretive Center (BLM)
The mission of the California Trail Interpretive Center is to interpret the California Trail experience. Through interpretation and education, the Trail Center contributes to the appreciation and preservation of historic and cultural sites. Strong community partnerships forged in the Trail Center enhances sustainable tourism throughout the eastern Nevada region.
The Oregon-California Trails Association
The Oregon-California Trails Association was formed to ensure that a pivotal point in our nation’s history lives on through the physical landscape and the stories and accounts of the indigenous populations and brave emigrants who personified the American Spirit and forever left their mark on this land.
National Park Service
Follow in the footsteps of over 250,000 emigrants who traveled to the gold fields and rich farmlands of California during the 1840s and 1850s: the greatest mass migration in American history. The California National Historic Trail is over 5,000 miles long and covers portions of 10 states. Step into history along more than 1,000 miles of ruts and traces from travelers and their overland wagons.
NPS California National Historic Trail Map
Over 250,000 emigrants who traveled to the gold fields and rich farmlands of California during the 1840s and 1850s: the greatest mass migration in American history.
NPS Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guides: California Trail
Download one of these booklets and begin your state by state trail adventure! The Auto Tour Route (ATR) guides provide an overview of local trail history while giving driving directions to suggested points of interest along the trail.
NPS California National Historic Trail Facebook Page
Discover the official Facebook page of the California National Historic Trail, administered by the National Park Service.