Why was scottsbluff an obstacle on the Oregon trail?

Answer 1

Hi, I'm a ranger at Scotts Bluff National Monument. Scotts Bluff rises over 800 feet above ground level and the area around there is rough. Because the pioneers traveled along the North Platte River, they had to diverge around the south side of the bluff because the land was simply impossible to go through. They did this until Mitchell Pass was opened which basically cut through an opening between two bluffs dropping 8 miles, or 2/3 of a day, from the pioneers route.