The Woods Trail

The Woods Trail. . , This spot on the Woods Trail once bustled with travelers. Before railroads and highways crossed the Minnesota, the Woods Trail was one of several overland routes connecting St. Paul and Minneapolis with the western settlements of the Red River region. These trails carried fur traders, soldiers, adventurers, gold seekers, hunters, settlers, and all others bound for the Red River and beyond., The Woods Trail was not easily traveled. Hemmed in by heavy forest along much of the route, the rutted path twisted torturously between hills and marshes. There were few bridges or ferries across the many streams and rivers. And the soft, muddy ground mired even the light, two-wheeled carts used in the Red River trade. As traffic and settlement increased, some sections of the trail were replaced by straighter, smoother roads capable of carrying wagons and stagecoaches. Finally, in 1871, the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad reached Breckenridge on the Red River. Through traffic then went by rail and steamboat, and the old trail became only a series of local routes., In most areas, the Red River trails have been built over or plowed under. The path you see here is one of the last remnants. So lace up your hiking boots. Let this exhibit be your guide to the Red River and beyond., Harpers New Monthly Magazine, 1860