How Far Would a Wagon Train Travel in One Day?
On many days the caravan would only travel ten to fifteen miles. On rainy and muddy days they might only travel one mile! It would take them five to seven days just to travel the distance we can drive a car in a single hour. The people would have to get up very early each morning in order to prepare for their daily travels. It was usually dark on these mornings. They would have to start the fire, prepare breakfast, gather the livestock, reload the wagon, and hitch the oxen or mules before getting started. What Did They Do Each Day On the Trail? Each morning the pioneers would get up before daylight and gather their livestock and cook breakfast. Many times they would go ahead and prepare lunch as well. After breakfast around 7:00 a.m. they hitched up the oxen and started down the trail. Since the wagon was so bumpy the pioneers who were not driving the wagon would walk behind or next to it much of the time. They would stop at lunchtime and rest for an hour or two. After a rest period th
