These Were The Only Three Ways to Reach California During the Gold Rush

None of them were easy

An add for a new line of clipper ships bound for California (Public domain)

Today, California is the most populous state in the United States of America boasting some of the largest cities on the continent. Getting to Los Angeles or San Francisco takes just a few hours via air or a couple of days' drive from anywhere in the country and tourism is one of California’s biggest industries. But that was not always the case.

When California exploded onto the map in the 1840s getting to the mythical land was an odyssey. There were only three paths to California and each had its own dangers and drawbacks. Despite the difficulty, thousands of hopeful Americans and foreign immigrants poured into California and turned places like San Francisco into the bustling metropolises that are famous today.

1. Across the Plains

An encampment along the California Trail, 1859 (Public domain)

The most straightforward way for most people living in the eastern United States to reach California was to simply traverse the country on land. The trip connected old trails, new railroads, and familiar landmarks into a new route from east to west. The new overland route to the San Francisco area…