Viking Trail goes through Fergus Falls

I was driving north of Fergus Falls on Highway #116 near the 59/I-94 interchange. I noticed the Viking Trail sign.  I had seen these signs before, but I had never really thought about it. So I decided to do some research on the internet. Very little information. One site had collected the pictures of these types of highway signs with no explanation. I was also able to find a link to the legislation that created all these named highways in Minnesota. It looked like a property description – – very difficult reading.

So I decided to follow the trail on the map.  I took out an orange highlighter pen and started tracing the highways. It turns out I travel the VIKING TRAIL quite a bit as I get around Otter Tail county. The trail comes down #59 through Pelican Rapids, Erhard and Elizabeth. Then it goes on Hwy 116 to 210 and through Fergus Falls and Underwood to Battle Lake on 210. At Battle Lake it turns around and follows 83 and 122 to Underwood again where it joins up with 35 and heads south through Dalton, Elbow Lake, Barrett and so on down to Sauk Centre.

So now I will keep my eyes posted as I travel these roads and look for the Viking sign. I wonder if the Vikings really did travel this path, and why did they go to Battle Lake and then turn around, go back to Underwood and then south. Hmmm. Will I ever know?