01Summary
A slender spire rising about 300 feet above the North Platte valley, mentioned in more emigrant diaries than any other landmark on the trail.
02History
Chimney Rock rises about 300 feet above the North Platte River valley in western Nebraska, and its tip stands about 4,228 feet above sea level. It is made of Brule clay with layers of volcanic ash and sandstone. Harder sandstone near the top has protected the spire as the softer rock around it wore away.
Lakota people had their own name for the rock long before fur traders called it Chimney Rock. Robert Stuart's Astorians probably passed it on their way east in 1813, and trader Joshua Pilcher wrote the first recorded use of the name 'Chimney Rock' in 1827. For the emigrants of the 1840s and 1850s it became a milestone, and it is mentioned in more of their diaries than any other landmark.
The spire has grown shorter since the covered wagons passed, and erosion is still slowly wearing it down.
03Today
Chimney Rock National Historic Site is run by History Nebraska. Its visitor center has exhibits and a film about the trails, and the rock can be seen from the center and from nearby roads.
05Stops nearby
The Oregon Trail ran about 2,170 miles from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City. The stops just before and after this one are below. You can also find Chimney Rock on the interactive map.