From 1846 to 1869, more than 70,000 Mormons traveled west along what is now known as the Mormon Pioneer Trail. The famous Mormon Bingham Young led the Mormons on this trek of hundreds of miles through extremely harsh and inhospitable conditions. This trail crosses five states, beginning in Nauvoo, Illinois, traversing Iowa to the Great Platte River Road at the Missouri River, and ending near the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Much of the trail is no longer visible, with the exception of a few long stretches in Wyoming. Congress established the 1,300 mile long Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail as part of the National Trails System in November 1978.