Have you heard of it? I learned about it this year (2025) when contemplating going to the Industrial Strength Bluegrass Festival in Xenia, Ohio. I was thinking about driving--well, I was planning on driving. I found out about the trail when I started to map my route. I bought the book, A Good Road from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound written by Alice and John Ridge, from the Renville Historical Society and Museum in Minnesota, and was seriously over-stimmed when I got it. It's like a cross between the Farmer's Almanac and a history book.
I planned to take the trail as much as I could on my way to Ohio, but once I actually did the math, I realized that I would need a month to take the trip at the pace I wanted to. I cut my ambition down to a more manageable size and will probably travel to eastern Montana, and maybe Wyoming. Reading the book as I plan gives me a picture of what it was like when the Yellowstone Trail Association was formed in 1912--bumpy, inhospitable, and lord how did they get gas? All the learning is leading to more questions and more research. For now, until I take the trip, I will keep my notes here on some of the history I want to keep for reference later.
