What route did Mormon pioneers follow on the Mormon Trail?

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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mormon temple, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Mormon Trail was a 1,300-mile route taken by Mormons migrating from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake in present-day Utah.1

Beginning in 1846, the pioneers followed existing trails through Iowa to establish winter quarters in Omaha, Nebraska. From there, the route proceeded west along the Platte River across Nebraska and into Wyoming. Throughout much of this journey, the Mormon Trail frequently coincided with the Oregon Trail. West of the Continental Divide, the trail broke south, eventually terminating southeast of the Great Salt Lake in what is now Salt Lake City.1