Trail Trees Discovered In Northport Beside Old Creek Bed

Trail trees are hardwood trees throughout North America that Native Americans intentionally shaped with distinctive characteristics that suggest the tree was shaped by humans to mark a trail or water source and there's a few right here in Northport, Alabama.  

While exercising our dogs one evening, Perry and discovered an old creek bed framed by some interesting trees with distinctive bends in the trunk extending several feet off the ground.

Perry immediately recognized them as Indian trail trees, but I'd never heard the term before.

I was immediately fascinated and soon we'd discovered more.

After some initial research I sent a few pictures to Betsy Irwin at Moundville Archaeological Park who said the trees were way too young to have been used by Native Americans in the 1800's. She suggested an animal or natural occurrence bent the saplings and the trail was later picked up by humans.

Here's a neat explanation of how the trees were formed.

Perry remains hopeful that perhaps the trees were bent by Civil War soldiers moving through the area, but I guess we'll never know.

If you've noticed any trail trees near you, share the pictures. I'd love to see them!