The Red River Routes

The Red River Routes. . , The Woods Trail was the last major Red River trail to be developed. The earliest trails of the 1830s followed the Red River Valley south from Canada, either hugging the riverbank itself or traveling along a sandy ridge several miles to the west in North Dakota. In both cases, the trails finally turned westward into the Minnesota River Valley, crossing the heart of Dakota Indian territory to St. Paul., The Minnesota Valley trail was easy to follow, but potentially dangerous. Many of the Red River traders were "Metis," or "mixed bloods," with Ojibwe Indian ancestry. Since the Ojibwe and Dakota were traditional enemies, the Red River caravans were occasional sources of conflict. In an attempt to find a safer and shorter route, the traders opened the "Middle Trail" in the early 1840s. This path left the Red River near Fort Abercrombie. Skirting the northern edge of Dakota lands, it ran directly across the country to the present location of St. Cloud, where it followed the Mississippi River down to St. Paul., In 1844 a skirmish between a group of Dakota and Metis temporarily closed even the Middle Trail. The Red River traders responded by opening a third pathway through the northern forests of the more friendly Ojibwe. Ascending the Mississippi River Valley from St. Paul to the village of Crow Wing, the Woods Trail cut overland almost due west to Detroit Lakes and then northwest to Pembina. Although the boggy, wooded terrain made travel difficult, the Woods Trail remained in use through the 1860s., , [small metal marker on right] , The preservation and interpretation of this portion of the Woods Trail for the enjoyment of the public is a result of the generous support of the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources and the cooperative efforts of the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.