2024 Map of Big Woods NW

About this map

The Red River of the North forms a serpentine, highly braided natural boundary between Walsh County, North Dakota, and Marshall County, Minnesota. This flat, alluvial landscape is defined by the sharp meanders of the river and its tributary, the Park River, which cuts across the western plains to join the main channel. The map illustrates a strictly rectilinear section-line road grid, characteristic of the Red River Valley’s agricultural development, where routes like 70th St NE and Co Rd 11 provide access to remote farmsteads. Cultural markers are sparse but significant for local history, including the Saint Joseph Mission Cem near the riverbanks and the Zion Cem further west. Drainage projects, such as the Dipple Drain, demonstrate the engineering required to manage the seasonally wet prairie lands of this fertile border region.