Devil's Gate

01Summary

A 370-foot-deep gorge cut by the Sweetwater River, too narrow for wagons, so the trail skirted it to the south.

02History

Devil's Gate is a 370-foot-deep, 1,500-foot-long gorge where the Sweetwater River cuts straight through the Rattlesnake Range. The river flows fast and clear through a slot only about 30 feet wide at the bottom.

Wagons could not pass through the gorge itself, so the trail detoured to the south over a low saddle and rejoined the river beyond. But almost every emigrant climbed the rim to look down, and diarist after diarist describes the noise, the wind, and the strangeness of seeing a river slice the mountain in half.

Tom Sun, a French-Canadian fur trapper turned cattle rancher, settled at Devil's Gate in 1872. The Sun ranch continues to operate as a working cattle outfit today.

03Today

05Stops nearby

The Oregon Trail ran roughly 2,170 miles from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City. The stops immediately before and after this one are linked below; show Devil's Gate on the interactive map for the full route.

• Independence RockMile 830
• South PassMile 950