South Platte Trail

For the current trail in Sedgwick County, Colorado, see South Platte River Trail Scenic and Historic Byway.
Historical trails of Colorado
Trails
Pony Express across the Plains

South Platte Trail was a historic trail that followed the southern side of South Platte River from Fort Kearny in Nebraska to Denver, Colorado.[1][2][3][4] Plains Indians, such as the Cheyenne and the Arapaho, hunted in the lands around the South Platte River. They also traded at trading posts along the route, as did white travelers.[3] Travelers included trappers, traders, explorers, the military, and those following the gold rush. The trail was also used by the Pony Express.[3]

Stage stations provided fresh horses and food. Simple buildings of sod, logs, or adobe, the stations were located about every 10 to 15 miles apart along the trail. In some cases, they also offered lodging and supplies for travelers.[5]

  1. ^ Susan Badger Doyle (2000). Journeys to the Land of Gold: Emigrant Diaries from the Bozeman Trail, 1863-1866. Montana Historical Society. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-917298-48-6.
  2. ^ Douglas D. Scott; Peter Bleed; Amanda Renner (October 31, 2016). Battlespace 1865: Archaeology of the Landscapes, Strategies, and Tactics of the North Platte Campaign, Nebraska. Oxbow Books. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-78570-342-3.
  3. ^ a b c Stan Hoig (2006). A Travel Guide to the Plains Indian Wars. UNM Press. pp. 32, 152. ISBN 978-0-8263-3934-8.
  4. ^ James C. Olson (1997). History of Nebraska. U of Nebraska Press. pp. 58–59. ISBN 0-8032-8605-8.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference AC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).