Blm Acquires Well-Kept Portion Of Oregon Trail East Of Boise

One of the bestpreserved segments of the historic Oregon Trail will soon pass into public ownership.

The Bureau of Land Management has signed an agreement with Idaho Power Co. that clears the way for the agency to acquire a 45-acre parcel of land on the eastern edge of Boise.

The land - about three-quarters of a mile long and 200 to 500 feet wide - includes some of the best Oregon Trail remnants anywhere, said John Sullivan, resource management specialist for the BLM.

“People can see where the wagons actually traveled,” said Frank Jenks, an outdoor recreation planner for the agency. “It will help them get a feel for what it must have been like for the pioneers to travel through miles and miles of desert and then see the trees and greenery of the Boise River valley.”

The BLM hopes to acquire a total of about 2 miles of the Oregon Trail in the same area during the next few years and link the segments with the Boise River Greenbelt.

“We envision constructing a path beside the Oregon Trail where people could walk or bike and learn about the area’s history from interpretive signs located along the way,” Jenks said.

J.R. Simplot Co. and the Idaho Transportation Department also plan an Oregon Trail interpretive center nearby off Idaho Highway 21.