Explores various details of frontier and pioneer life in connection with the Oregon National Historic Trail, covering topics such as the growth of fur trapping and the contest between different nations for control of Oregon, with illustrations, a timeline, and statistics.

A great adventure : why did people travel the Oregon Trail? -- Claiming the West : who was the first European to set foot in Oregon? -- Trail opens : what was known as the "brown gold" rush? -- Hopes and dreams : who got to ride in a covered wagon? -- The big truth! : the man who saved the trail : who traveled east on the Oregon Trail in both a wagon and an airplane? -- Challenges along the way : what did pioneers worry about most? -- End of the trail : how did the first coast-to-coast railroad affect the trail?