Red River Oxcart Trail

The Red River trade route began in the 1830s, and this route, known as the Woods Trail, was the last major Red River trail to be developed. It was first cut in the fall of 1844 to provide a safe route through friendly Ojibwe territory. Ascending the Mississippi River valley from St. Paul to the village of Crow Wing, the Woods Trail here headed west to Detroit Lakes and then northwest to Pembina. Primarily developed for trade, the Red River Oxcart trails also carried soldiers, adventurers, gold seekers, hunters, settlers, and others bound for the Red River and beyond. The Woods Trail remained in use through the 1860s.

Minnesota · United States