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This road runs perpendicular to the old Oregon Trail in the vicinity of the continental divide. It crosses the divide closer to the Oregon Trail's most famous landmarks, the Oregon Buttes, than the historic trail itself. The summit is a great vantage point between the Wind River Range and the Sweetwater Basin. Count yourself lucky if you get a day with little wind. I would.

1.START-END NORTH:Wy28 crosses county line on way to South Pass
2.profile turns right onto Oregon Buttes Rd
3.route crosses Oregon Trail, close to summit of original Oregon Trail over South Pass
4.TOP, 7840ft
5.Edmund Springs
6.parking area and trailhead into a wilderness study area
7.START-END SOUTH:jct with track north to Point of Rocks - South Pass stage route


Approaches

From North.
The profile includes part of Wy28, starting where it crosses the county line. After a signed, yet visually indistinguishable crossing of the continental divide, Oregon Butte Rd takes off at a signed junction to the south. A good surface gravel road rolls along, with the rollers becoming ever steeper and the views of the Wind River Range to the north, ever more spectacular, unless smoke hides them in a dense haze. A few miles up the road , it crosses the original Oregon Trail. Here a nicely executed sign points out Pacific Butte and other landmarks that Oregon bound travelers had to negotiate. The official Oregon Trail summit is  reached after following a short path to the west. Here stand two headstones that fit into the austere landscape perfectly in their simplicity.

Leaving behind Pacific Butte, the real road rollers are just starting. This includes a few short steep pitches and a little washboard, that never lasts long. At the top the view opens up onto the high Great Divide Basin.

From South. (described downwards) The road seems to snuggle into a protective cove of Oregon Butte with a switchback, before heading to a spring that has resulted in a fairly large pond. The descent seems small, but following every contour of the landscape, the rolling up and down is considerable.

cLiCk on image , arrows , or thumbnails to advance slideshow


Dayride with this point as highest summit

PARTIALLY PAVED / UNPAVED

( < Fremont Lakes Rd(ow) | Lander Cutoff Rd s(u) > )

Oregon Buttes Rd s(u) x2: Oregon Buttes Rd, a short distance south from it jce with Wy28 > Oregon Buttes Rd north > Wy28 west > unmarked unpaved road south > Hay Meadow Resrvoir > unmarked track east > Powerline trail north > Pacific Butte powerline trail(shp) > Oregon/California/Mormon Trail east > official summit of Oregon Trail over South Pass > jct with Oregon Buttes Rd <> out and back on Oregon Buttes Rd south <> Oregon Buttes Rd s(u) << turaround point ~400ft below summit at wilderness study area sign >> Oregon Buttes Rd north back to starting point: 47.2miles with 2920ft of climbing in 5:51hrs (garmin etrex32x m6:25.06.23)




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