Trail Marker Tree located on the border of Mettawa and West Lake Forest, IL

Indian Trail Trees

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Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Ever since the beginning of human existence trees have played an important role in the growing culture of man.  Primitive man used them in various ways as means of providing him not only with food, but also with shelter, protection and warmth.

As man grew in intelligence, he found that trees could further be used as reliable landmarks, and as such they provided him with another useful instrument.  He learned that by using them as guideposts he could travel from place to place without fear of becoming lost.  He could also use them as means of indicating to other fellow men the locations of desirable routes of travel.

Two trail trees identified by the Mountain Stewards project. An accompanying photo indicates that the second tree is an oak. The trees tend to cluster in former Cherokee lands. Core samples from many of the identified trees date their age to the late 1700s.
Two trail trees identified by the Mountain Stewards project. An accompanying photo indicates that the second tree is an oak. The trees tend to cluster in former Cherokee lands. Core samples from many of the identified trees date their age to the late 1700s.

This led to the development of a system whereby certain trees could be identified as definite trail markers.  Primitive man noticed that trees do not heighten en masse, but that they grow from their tips.  He also observed that they do not turn on an axis while growing, but that once established they maintain a fixed position.

Experiment showed him that if a young tree were bent in some unnatural position without being broken, and were fastened securely, it would continue to grow, forever after maintaining the bent position.  With this as a means, it was possible to deform the trees deliberately so that they could easily be distinguished from the other trees in the forest.

There developed a custom of marking trails through the forests by bending saplings and securing them in such positions that their directions of bend indicated the directions of the routes to be followed.  A line of similarly bent trees thus established a continuous uninterrupted route of travel which could readily be followed.

After being bent, the young trees were fastened by one of several methods. Sometimes the trees were weighted down with a rock, sometimes a pile of dirt was used, and often the tree was tied in position with a length of rawhide, a strip of bark, or a tough vine.  The various methods used in each case were dependent largely upon the custom and ingenuity of the individual performing the work, and the materials at hand.

When America was introduced to the rest of the civilized world, this method of marking trails was in use by tribes of Indians inhabiting the forested regions of the eastern part of what was later to become the United States.  In passing, the Red Man left behind him his forest trails marked by numerous curiously bent trail trees.

In marking a trail, after bending and fastening the young trees, the Indian would usually carve upon them his individual or clan insignia.  Not every tree along the route of travel was bent, it being advisable to do so only at intervals.  Natives were thus able to follow a pre-established trail by continuing in the direction indicated from one bent tree to the next.  If the trail crossed a non-wooded area, some other system of marking had to be resorted to, such as the placing of stone pile, planting of poles, or the appropriate use of other materials.  The use of living trees was, of course, the most permanent, and therefore the most desirable method.

The Mountain Stewards initiated The Trail Tree Project in 2007 to try to learn more about the history and origin of the trail trees. In the places where trail trees have been mapped, such as Sassafras Mountain in North Georgia, they seem to connect known settlements.  See mountainstewards.org
The Mountain Stewards initiated The Trail Tree Project in 2007 to try to learn more about the history and origin of the trail trees. In the places where trail trees have been mapped, such as Sassafras Mountain in North Georgia, they seem to connect known settlements. See mountainstewards.org

Because of their longevity, many of these old Indian trail trees, now gnarled with age, may have been standing in various parts of the country, still marking the sites of former trails.  Modern civic development takes it toll of these trees from time to time, and the gaps between them are becoming wider and wider.

The bending and the fastening of trees as trail markers had a definite effect upon the subsequent development of the trees.  They were severely stunted, but nevertheless continued to grow.  The original trunk of a tree having been bent down to the ground necessitated the establishment of one or more secondary trunks to take the place of the original one. These secondary trunks branched and bore leaves in the normal manner.  They may have originated from former branches or may have issued forth as entirely new systems.

In most cases the extremities of the original bent over trunks later decayed away.  Sometimes, however, the trunk tip would take root at its point of contact with the ground, and the tree would continue its development with two sets of roots.

Except that they have increased in diameter, the bent portions of these trees are still pointing in the same manner and directions as when first bent more than a hundred years ago.  Occasionally it was necessary for an Indian to place a trail sign at a place where no small tree was growing which he could conveniently bend.  In such a case, the bending of the lowermost branch of a large tree was occasionally resorted to.

The question has often been asked as to whether the Indians used selection in their choice of trees—using only one kind throughout a single trail.  While this may have been so in limited cases, it could not always hold true.  Trees of the same species ordinarily grow in groves, and a trail extending for a long distance would pass through areas containing different types of trees.  In such a case the Indian would actually be prevented from exercising selection. He would necessarily have had to use whatever kind of trees happened to be growing along the same route at the time.

Indian Trail Tree on Flint River - www.stevetannerphotography.com

Difficulty in differentiating between Indian trail trees and the ordinary crooked or deformed trees often confronts persons untrained in the observation of them.  In viewing such trees, one must be able to ascertain whether their shapes are the results of accidental, intentional, or natural causes. Wind, sleet, lightning, heavy snows, or depredations by animals may cause accidental deformities in a tree.

A careful examination of the tree will disclose such a fact inasmuch as serious injuries always leave their scars.  Another common cause of accidental deformities is the falling of a larger tree upon a smaller and pinning it down.  When such is the case, the angle of bend is relatively long and gentle, quite unlike the abrupt angle used by the Indians.  Natural causes are frequently unaccountable and result in deviating directions taken by the tree trunk while it is growing.

Wilmette, WI noted Indian Trail Trees on this 1947 poster celebrating the town's founding.
Wilmette, WI noted Indian Trail Trees on this 1947 poster celebrating the town’s founding.

Some kinds of tree have greater tendencies to develop crooked stems than others, and such deviations present a different appearance than the methodical bend used by the Indians.

Indian trail trees still exist in many states throughout the Mississippi Valley and eastward.  They seem to be most numerous in Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Missouri.

It is unfortunate that these old Indian landmarks are fast disappearing.  The ages of many of them antedate that of our government.  Only a short time longer, and the last of them will have disappeared forever from our midst, as did the Indians who bent them.

“Indian Trail Trees,” by Raymond E. Janssen, American Forests magazine, July 1934, from Laura Hubler/Dorothy Moore Archives at The Arkansas Folk Museum

More articles on trailblazing:

“Oh, I’m just taking three pigs to market” –Ohio’s Underground Railroad(Opens in a new browser tab)

They were a people called Welsh and they had crossed the Great Water(Opens in a new browser tab)

Highway to History: WV author helps illustrate history of Midland Trail(Opens in a new browser tab)

43 comments

  1. Great info. I came across one outside of a local Museum and the museum has it roped off with a plaque by it explaining what it is. The tree is HUGE so for sure it’s very old. How can I find out where to locate other such trees? Is there a directory anywhere? After all, these are Native American landmarks and should be treasured, once these trees dye, there are no more being created to carry on the tradition.

  2. Thanks for posting this article. I ran across one of these in north Georgia near Amicalola Falls and kind of knew the story behind them but this really fleshed it out. You rock!

  3. You might be interested to know that this was practiced by the Ute Nation as well. Please look up “culturally modified trees” or Celinda Kaelin or even Ute medicine tree.

    Celinda’s story on the Pike’s Peak Historical Society’s website should prove quite interesting.

  4. Great article, I have heard of these trees growing up. I also was told that Indians would use this method of marking things of value IE herbs medical plants etc
    I have ,what I believe to be one of there trees on my property in Paulding Co Georgia

  5. In Patrick County,Virginia there’s a small tract of land that’s been in our family since the mid-seventeen hundreds.

    There were three white oak ‘trail trees’ along a ridge that led down to a spring that still today has wonderful tasting water and has a good flow even in times of drought. Interestingly a spring on the opposite side of the ridge has an odd and sometimes bitter taste to it.

    Unfortunately the trees were logged well over twenty-five years ago. As a teenager, they always evoked a sense of wonder within me. I grieve over their loss. Some loggers don’t cut them but many obviously do.

    While bow hunting, I’ve found several projectile points along the mountainside while following ancient game trails for deer.

  6. I’ve been aware of a couple of these trees on our property for many years, never knowing what they were. My brother has investigated this and has found yet another. We are in south central Va. (Pittsylvania Co.). We will likely submit to a registry. I look forward to learning more. Thank you for your efforts here.

  7. Hello! I have what I believe to be a Cherokee Indian marked tree in my front yard! I will post a picture tomorrow! I live in KY and the tree is on the edge of a short cliff (maybe 20 feet)The interesting thing is, the only real “landmark” of any interest, (in 2013 of course) is a pond and a creek, and a few miles past that is the Green River which is a fairly large river for this area. Maybe they were marking the way towards water? Pretty interesting!

  8. One such tree that I cannot prove but believe because of my own research to be and old Indian Trail marker of a crooked lower limb, can be seen in Downtown Bentonville, Arkansas In the yard at 306 North Main Street. In fact It is in the front Yard of The
    Victoria Bed & Breakfast which by the way is a wonderful place to stay when you visit the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art where the 33 million dollar “Kindred Spirits” now resides. Situated just 2 blocks north of the original 5 and 10 and the Sam Walton/Walmart Museum situated on the SW corner of the Square. The First Friday of Every month the street is blocked off and there is live music and events.

  9. There is a crazy looking one- similar to a deer head with antlers perphaps, on the trail to Skinny Dip Falls near Brevard NC

  10. Found a few of these near Lake Lanier Forsyth county. Interesting and fascinating. I wonder what they are pointing to. Like to send pictures. One tree we named Dr Seuss

  11. I have found some Indian trail trees up here in Cleveland Ohio. Thanks for this, I find such great info on the computer. It supports my theory that computers are the best thing that ever happened to man.

  12. We definitely have one located in our backyard in Maryland! It’s near a stream area that’s never been logged. There are some enormous trees in the woods behind our house. Is there a way to report and record it somewhere? Or make sure it remains preserved? It’s a huge sycamore. My brother and I used to play on it as kids pretending it was a dinosaur because of it’s shape 😛 So amazing the history behind it! I had no idea. Thank you for this article.

  13. You cant help but wonder how in the world did the tree in our back yard get to look as it does. Now it makes sense. The Catawba river is less than a mile away, the Yadkin river and Brushy mountain area 20 miles away (Daniel Boone territory ) and 12 miles from Ft. Dobbs. The trail is on a ridge with the nose pointing towards Buffalo Shoals creek. I have to go exploring to see if I can find more. Thanks for the info, this is great stuff.

  14. All of you that have Trail Trees in any area can contact Don Wells at MountainStewards.org for information on how to get your trees on the National Database. Everything is kept confidential. Ken and I are designated to check the trees in northeast Georgia. If you need to have some trees checked and measured, etc., contact us at 727-776-7611 to get this done. We come to the tree, take the measurements, pictures and send the information to Don Wells and he then lets us know if the tree is indeed a Trail Tree and if it is, he adds it to the national data base. Thanks, Judy and Ken

  15. There are two trees about 10′ from eachother bent the same way on Dutch Ridge Rd. In Oswego NY

  16. I have some pics in Arkansas,point to a shelter, please email me so I can share pics

  17. I live in extreme North Georgia and have walked a ridge for years just for exercise and animal watching have found a tree in plain sight that ridge had been logged many a years ago and survey marked both the loggers of this region and surveyors knew the importance of this tree and did not cut it down due to respect I found a similar tree on neighbors property and I then realized they line up and mark a spring

  18. I was visiting friends in the Cumberland, MD area this past weekend and we went just over the border into West Virginia for a dinner party. Our hosts have a tree on their property and it’s quite large in circumference. As soon as I saw the tree I knew what it was and asked if there was a natural spring nearby and they owner pointed in the direction the tree was pointing to. I’m sure there is an old trail on their property and somewhere on that mountain but didn’t get a chance before it got dark. The tree was so beautiful.

  19. It would be useful if one of you experts could list some ways to at least eliminate suspect marker trees using available information. For instance, in Georgia, relatively fast-growing trees like yellow poplars, sycamores, red maples and river birches could be eliminated as candidates unless they have enormous trunks. I haven’t seen any of these that could date back to the Trail of Tears (1830s) and I seriously doubt Indians were marking trails much after that in north Georgia yet I saw a poplar labeled with a bronze plaque as a trail marker in Forsyth County by Lake Lanier. This same area shows signs of contour plowing and I would bet money the area has been logged several times since 1900. Aerial photos from the Soil Conservation Service from the 1930s on can also reveal the truth there. The credibility of this field is undermined when people react to what they want to believe and designate a tree that speaks to them as a marker. I think some people treat it like an Easter Egg hunt and want to fill their baskets with marker trees. Growth rates and site history resources are readily available online.

  20. I found one in Mansfield CT.
    So far, I am getting doubts from various people that it is.

  21. These trees are all over the Linville Gorge in North Carolina. They mark some of the trails and there are some located above some of the permanent camping spots.

  22. Can anyone please help me locate some of these trees here in South western va? I live in Redford and there are lots of native American and early pioneer sites scattered around the area, also the Appalachian trail is not very far from me. I have seen some of these trees around near Blacksburg at pandapus pond which is very close to the trail.

  23. We have one on our property in chappells sc. I am glad to know what it is. So beautiful

  24. There is one of these trees with the notch or nose on it which is a tell tale sign in Clayton, NC. Locally we had plenty of Cherokee and Powhatan Indians. If you go in the direction this one points it leads to flowing water in a deep creek.

  25. I found a trail tree in the hills of Central Arkansas, USA. If there was a way to attach, I would gladly post a picture of it. They are amazing. I was told to dig under it. What on earth do you suppose I would find?

  26. Hello. Independant Forester, Geologist, Archeologist Researcher, New England base, familiar with these trees(& other ‘msg trees’), seeking contact with same (‘shaman’ you may be/ 1st People/ ‘Ancients’-archeology); I’m unable to explain anomalies that I have encountered, Govt/Educational/Science Communities; Archeological evidence re: these trees. (Any familiar with this will know; a scholarly paper, at least, will result… Please contact me; hermitman59@mail.com. Be Safe.

  27. Iʻm glad I came across this article – I live on 52 acres in rural Madison County NC we have one such tree. Itʻs on a ridge at 3,800 feet – large old tree. Iʻll be taking a closer look at it.
    Peace

  28. Folks, most of the trees that you all in the comments section see around you today are secondary growth, if not tertiary or even more recent (particularly throughout the forests of the eastern US). This isnt to say that marker trees don’t exist in some places, but if the tree you’re seeing isn’t 150 or so years old or more (and it’s very probably not), it’s not a “trail marker tree.” Trees can be bent in many shapes due to damage, frost, etc and many species can grow to be quite large in a relatively short amount of time. Of course the best way to know an age of a tree (if it’s a ring porous species) is the dendro date it, but many species cannot be dendro dated and that’s also an expensive process. But the best thing you can do is identify the species and look at historical aerial photos of the area in question, in addition to other documentation. Most of those types of sources are now available for most areas and easily accessible online. The large majority of the trees many of you may believe are marker trees, are likely less than 50 years old. Nonetheless, the shapes are cool.

  29. I just found one !! Located in north west pa.just off the olean trail. Took photo’s. How do I confirm this. Where can I send photo’s?

  30. I live on the end of the rod as they my say. it is the end of the trail of Tears.wher these sacred trees exist plentifully and should be respected. This was the end of the line for all not just the civilized the uncivilized as well in Spanish territory and the French territory

  31. We live in Upstate SC and I have a pair of these tree on our property.

    I’m not sure that they are old enough to be native american markers, but they are definitely very interesting!

    i can send a pic if you like.
    Two large trees both bent inwards towards a huge boulder.

  32. I have a dead pine trail marker at 36.64.063, 80.36.447
    UTM 535352 E 3391254 N A 810 pointing NNW

  33. I found 1 yesterday and another today I live in west TN. I have photos but I don’t see an option for me to leave photos here I had no idea with his word until somebody told me when I sent them the picture of this tree I found yesterday and then today the one I found was way larger both trees are completely intact

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