Nell Washburn is uprooted from her happy childhood in Iowa when tragedy strikes the family and, to appease her grieving father, she concedes to his desire to move west, following the arduous Oregon Trail. When fate once more overtakes Nell, her subsequent adventures see her striking out alone in hostile country, joining a cattle drive, and carving out a stake in the wild, lawless gold rush towns of California. She meets memorable people, both good and bad, finds love, and endures heartache, danger, and fickle changes in fortune. Through it all, her courage and indomitable spirit shine, moulding her into a true pioneer woman of the Old West. Nell's West celebrates the triumph of the human spirit and pays tribute to one young woman's amazing resilience in a time of great flux, when legends were made.