California Hill | |
 California Hill, rising from the South Platte River Valley to the crest to reach the North Platte River on the California and Oregon Trails. | |
  | |
| Nearest city | Brule, Nebraska |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°6′2.55″N 101°58′53.58″W / 41.1007083°N 101.9815500°W |
| Area | 140 acres (57 ha) |
| Built | 1847 |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001126[1] |
| Added to NRHP | July 15, 1974 |
California Hill is a hill in Nebraska, and the first major hill ascended by emigrants on the Oregon Trail.[2][3] East of O'Fallon's Bluffs, the trail begins to turn southward along the South Platte River. The migrants had to make a decision of where to cross the river and then over the divide between the north and south branches. The North Platte River was the preferred route towards Fort Laramie and Casper, Wyoming. A variety of crossings were used, but the most often chosen was named the California Crossing. Having travelled 53 miles (85 km) west of O'Fallon's Bluffs this crossing was the most direct Ash Hollow and the North Platte River. While shallow, the South Plattes sandy bottom created a major obstacle for heavy wagons. Quicksand and moving water were the cause of wrecks, drownings, and deaths from exposure. This was accentuated as the main crossing season was in May and early June and the rivers became swollen from the spring melt in the mountains.[4] Once over, the emigrants faced California Hill. This climb of 240 feet (73 m) was over a 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) before reaching the plateau that stretched between the two forks of the Platte rivers. While not as steep as the hills ahead of them on the trail, this was the first major hill that they faced.[4]
