Whitman Mission National Historic Site, the Oregon Trail
in Washington
Whitman Mission National Historic Site was established to preserve and share the story of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman's religious mission to the Cayuse Nation in the early nineteenth century, along with its lasting impacts and continuing relevancy. The Whitman's established their religious mission at Waiilatpu on the Columbia Plateau in 1836. During the 1840s, the mission also served as a way-stop on the Oregon Trail, providing emigrants with food, medicine, and, if needed, a place to stay during the winter.
The Whitmans were killed in an attack on November 29, 1847. Site Information Location (328 Whitman Mission Road, Walla Walla, Washington) The National Park Service now manages the mission site, which includes over a mile of paved paths, interpretive exhibits, the graves of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, a commemorative obelisk, and a visitor center. None of the original mission buildings remain, but their locations are marked.
Ranger programs are presented daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Whitman Mission National Historic Site Oregon National Historic Trail
- States
- Washington
- Trail type
- National Historic Site trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Spokane, WA · 122 mi · ~3.5 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 46.0414°, -118.4639°
About Whitman Mission National Historic Site
This trail is inside Whitman Mission National Historic Site, a national historic site managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/000/whitman-mission-national-historic-site-the-oregon-trail.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/whmi/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Whitman Mission National Historic Site, the Oregon Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Other trails within 50 miles
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.