The Bridger Trail, opened in 1864, offered a safer alternative to the Bozeman Trail for prospectors looking to make their fortune in the Montana gold rush. Famous mountain man and guide, Jim Bridger, created the trail west of the Big Horn Mountains. This new route skirted the Powder River Basin and dangerous conflicts between the U.S. Army and Northern Plains Indians. The trail, used for just one emigrant season, was a forerunner to modern-day transportation routes.
Jim Bridger was a living legend of his time. Bridger’s geographical knowledge of the western frontier was unparalleled; he was indispensable for his mapping abilities and guide skills.
It's easy, Joe Ellis assures me as the warm morning sun glints off Willow Creek's waters. But gazing through the gin-clear waters at the pebbled creek bottom, I'm not so sure I'll be good at panning for gold.
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Sinks Canyon State Park features a geologic phenomenon in which the Popo Agie River vanishes into a large cavern. read more
