Whitman Mission National Historic Site — Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

Our visit to the Whitman Mission was quite enjoyable. We began at the visitor center and watched its excellent film on the Whitmans and their complicated and ultimately tragic relationship with the Cayuse in the 1840s.

Afterward, we headed outside for about a mile of walking. We first circled the old mission site, where you could see the foundations of the old buildings and its lovely setting. Then we walked along a short segment of the Oregon Trail detour to the mission. Were those wagon wheel ruts? Probably not. A short and steepish paved trail leads up to the Whitman Monument, a 27 foot tall obelisk atop a hill. The views were expansive in all directions. Late afternoon would probably be the best time to be up there. We ended at the old grave site. It was probably a mile total.