
The Sweetwater River
The 'Sweetwater River' is a tributary of the
North Platte River, approximately 150 mi (241 km) long, in the
U.S. state of
Wyoming. It rises in southwestern
Fremont County, at the continental divide near
South Pass, on the southern end of the
Wind River Range. It flows ENE along the north side of the
Antelope Hills, then ESE, through Fremont County, past
Jeffrey City, between the
Granite Mountains to the north and the
Green Mountains to the south, through cattle-raising areas. In southern
Natrona County, it passes
Devil's Gate and
Independence Rock, and empties into the North Platte as the Sweetwater arm of
Pathfinder Reservoir.
The valley of the river historically provided the route of several westward migration trails, including the
Oregon Trail,
California Trail, and
Mormon Trail, allowing access to South Pass from the
plateau area of southeastern Wyoming.
See also
★
List of Wyoming rivers