Right before you reach the Burma Road overpass, on the left you will see Marker #5. This marker represents the entire length of the road you have just traveled.
When Epworth first began, the roadway for buggies and wagons ran very close to the shoreline, passing in front of the Hotel. The well-worn path thought to be an Indian route to a long-ago campsite was just a place for a pleasant walk through the woods.
But the beach route was treacherously tough on animals hauling heavy loads. In 1921, a horse dropped dead after dragging a load up the sandy path to North Beach. For some years, an annual addition of hay or gravel improved the beach road, but in 1942, it was decided to repurpose that old Indian trail. Little Baldie was bulldozed down and a new road created. The difficulties in accomplishing this during World War II reminded many at the time of the challenges faced by the U.S. military in building the famous Burma Road. So, though its official name is Indian Trail Drive, the nickname Burma Road is the name you’ll hear most often.
