The Lander Trail passes right through Star Valley. It begins in South Pass City, Wyoming and runs 252 miles to Fort Hall, Idaho. In Fort Hall, the trail rejoins the Oregon and California Trail route. The Land Trail was established in 1858. In 2008 it will celebrate its sesquicentennial.
This summer the Lander Trail Foundation was created. The organization is non-profit and is designed to promote and preserve the Lander Trail.
This week the foundation will be sending out request for donation letters. Donations to the foundation can also be made at the Bank of Star Valley in Alpine, Thayne and Afton.
“We have a list of projects that we are working on for this next year,” said Jermy Wight, member of the Lander Trail Foundation. “We are not going to whip them all by next July, but we will get some of them.”
The proposed projects the Lander Trail Foundation is working on include having large wall maps of the Lander Trail on display in the new Afton Civic Center as well as a terrain table showing the Lander Trail through Star Valley.
The organization is also working on created a self-guided tour for the trail, complete with maps and historical information about the trail. Work is also underway to develop signs and the trail to the Stump Creek salt flat, along with the history of that segment of the trail.
Additional plans include petitioning the postal service for a commemorative stamp of the Lander Trail, getting the trail designated as a National Historical Trail and developing curriculum for a history class at the local high school and/or junior colleges about the Lander Trail.
Directors serving as part of the Lander Trail Foundation include, Jermy Wight, Larry Call, Dan Dockstader, Steve Perry and Chad Jensen.
All donations to the Lander Trail  Foundation are tax deductible. For more information, contact Jermy Wight at 883-2174.