The Emigrant trail was essentially the road to the Gold Rush. It was also a motivation and endurance test of the highest degree. The slow and arduous nature of the journey cannot be overstated. And yet, when gold was discovered in 1848, hundreds of thousands were sufficiently inspired to make it to California seeking their fortune— it became the largest mass migration in American history.

Test your trail-worthiness as you make your way around or through the mountain, or dare to take the cutoff.