This abandonment was part of a larger Northern Pacific Railroad line between Little Falls and the NP yards and shops at Brainerd. It was originally constructed in 1877 by the Saint Paul and Northern Pacific Railroad. The line serves nearby Camp Ripley. It was abandoned north of Camp Riley in 1981 under the Burlington Northern Railroad. The remainder of the line between Little Falls and Camp Ripley is still in use by BNSF Railway as their Camp Ripley spur.