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Child's Cutoff

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1841-1868

By 1850, the Oregon-California-Mormon Pioneer trail system had developed almost as many shortcuts as there were wagon masters. The emigrants called these shortcuts "Cutoffs."

Child's Cutoff followed the north bank of the North Platte River from Fort Laramie to the Red Buttes area. It eliminated the need to cross the Platte for emigrants starting the Council Bluffs and Winter Quarters trailheads in Iowa and Nebraska.

Child's Cutoff is located on private land and is not marked.