The California and Oregon Trail, a popular adventure narrative, was written by Francis Parkman (1823-1893) and is based on his experiences traveling on the Oregon Trail, the major route westward across the country from the Mississippi River. During Parkman's travels on the Oregon Trail, he joined up with a roving band of Oglala Sioux warriors, and spent three weeks hunting buffalo and living in the manner of the Native Americans. The California and Oregon Trail first appeared in serial form in the Knickerbocker (in issues published between February 1847 and February 1849). The book was first published in 1849.