Before Mitchell Pass came into use about 1850, wagons on the Oregon Trail swung south around Scotts Bluff through Robidoux Pass, a gap in the Wildcat Hills at 4,554 feet. Its springs were counted among the best on the whole road to California. The Robidoux family kept a trading post and blacksmith shop here, described by one traveler as a row of rough huts of cedar logs and mud. The pass became a National Historic Landmark in 1961.
Visiting: no historic buildings remain, but white posts mark the trail, and there are graves, including that of John Dunn, and historical markers. The pass is on private land; the owners allow visitors, so please respect their property. From Gering, go about 9 miles west on Old Oregon Trail and Robidoux Road. Nearby: Scotts Bluff National Monument and Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area.
Information: Scotts Bluff County Visitors Bureau, 308-633-1808.