Updated December 05, 2004
This section describes a few of the trails known to have been in use before arrival of European settlers. Most locations are very general. This site is far from comprehensive, and there are many entries for which I haven't yet found an online map. If you have links to suggest, or information about other trails, please write to Sharon McAllister.
Ancient Way An network of Indian Trade Routes in New Mexico, in use even before the arrival of the Spanish.
Cumberland Gap. A natural gap in the Appalachian Mountains, though which passed one of the early Indian Trails.
Nemacolin's Path A trail between the Potomac and Monongahela rivers that later became Braddock's road.
Osage War Trail So named by Washington Irving, because it was used by raiding parties. Brief description & Map
Santa Fe Trail. Most accounts describe the road from near what is now Independence, MO through Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle to Santa Fe, NM as the expansion of earlier Indian Trails, but I haven't yet found details about any of those trails. For information about the wagon road itself, see Santa Fe Trail.
Zuni-Cibola Trail Part of the Ancient Way, linking the Acoma and Zuni Pueblos.