One feature of the National Parks Service's Auto Tour is the Mormon Trail, which runs the full width of southern Iowa before stretching into Nebraska and eventually to Utah. When  Mormons were driven out of Nauvoo, IL, in 1846, they crossed into southern Iowa, where many of their fellow Mormons had settled a few years earlier. But their goal was not to settle in the Territory of Iowa. They merely wanted to cross through on their way to what was then a desert region outside of the United States (present-day Utah). The crossing took several months, but a vanguard company began the trek in the middle of winter. Harsh conditions plagued the wagon train, often leading to long delays or difficult progress on mud-soaked paths. The Des Moines Mount Pisgah stake is named for one of the historic sites along the Trail that features a monument and cemetery. Other important sites include Garden Grove and the Seven Mile Creek Camp. In more than one place along the Trail, today's travelers can still find wagon ruts created by the passing pioneers.