History & Location
On April 16, 1847, a group of 148 Latter-day Saints in 72 wagons left Nebraska and began the 1,031-mile journey to the Salt Lake Valley. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley between the 21st and 24th of July 1847.
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In the years that followed, tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints from around the world would leave their homes and follow the same route to the Salt Lake Valley.
Our Trek this year takes place at several significant locations along this route. Click the links below to learn more.
In one of the greatest tragedies in overland trail history, hundreds died of exposure and starvation before rescuers from the Salt Lake Valley brought them to this location. (additional stories of Martin's Cove)
East of Rocky Ridge, at the Sixth Crossing of the Sweetwater, the Willie company became snowbound.
The trail from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake Valley was approximately 1,300 miles long and would ultimately lead 70,000 Mormon pioneers to the West.
The resources on this page provide a glimpse into the lives of Mormon pioneers of both yesterday and today.