PortlandOregonCity

FortHall

FortBridger

SaltLakeCity

SacramentoCity

SanFrancisco

Monterey

CouncilBlu�s

St. JosephFortLeavenworth

FortKearney

Independence St.Louis

FortLaramie

Bent’sFort

Los Angeles

SanDiego

FortSmith

NewOrleans

Galveston

PortLavaca

CorpusChristiLaredo

Fredericksburg

SanAntonio

Chihauhua

El PasoTucson

Yuma

BrazosParras

Monterrey

Durango

Tampico

Mazatlán

SanBlas

MexicoCity Vera Cruz

NewYork

SouthPass

Columbia River

Willam

ette R

Mississippi RiverMissouri River

Platte River

Snake River

Humboldt River

Colorado R

iver

San Juan River

Gila

Rio Grande

Arkansas River

Red River

Sabine River

Miss

issip

pi

Ri

ver

Nueces

Sacremento R

San Joaquin R.

Lassen’s Cut-O�

C alifornia Trail

Oregon Trail

Oregon-California Trail

Uppe r Emigrant Road

Lower E migrant Trail

Gila River Trail

Cimarron Cuto�

Gregg-Marcy Route

Santa Fe Trail

Santa FeAlbuquerque

MazatlanSan Blas

Vera Cruz

New YorkSan Francisco

Valparaiso

Lima

MazatlanSan Blas

Vera Cruz

Cape Horn

Isthmusof Panama

Isthmus of Panama

120°W 90°W120°W 90°W

30°N

0°

Gold Rush RoutesExcept for those lucky Californios, reaching

the Sierra foothills to search for gold required

a difficult journey lasting three to six months. From

the eastern United States thousands of would-be

miners followed one of three difficult routes. Each

route required a different set of hardships.

The quickest route was to sail to Central America,

then walk across the Isthmus of Panama, which

was infested with diseases called malaria and

cholera, or through the deserts of northern

Mexico. The second choice was to sail around

South America. This trip around the icy waters

of Cape Horn involved dangerous storms, scurvy,

malaria, dysentery, rancid water, and rotten food.

The third option was a 2,000-mile overland trip on

either the California or Gila River Trail. Travelers

on this route often ran short of food and water,

lost the trail, and fought with American Indians.

Chinese miners also packed small boats for the

dangerous four to eight week sail across the

Pacific Ocean. Whether traveling overland or by

sea, many gold seekers were not prepared for the

immense hardships of the journey.

26 California Geographic Alliance ©2010

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