Visiting Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

Trail of Tears National Historic Trail is an illuminating site for those who want to contemplate the endurance and resilience of Indigenous peoples. Stretching across nine states, the trail memorializes the paths taken by tens of thousands of Indigenous peoples forcibly removed from their homelands. Visiting the trail honors their memory and helps amplify their stories of resilience when faced with injustice and unimaginable hardships.

Whether exploring an interpretive center for a few hours or retracing miles of the trail, visitors take on the important role of bearing witness to the strength and persistence of Indigenous communities while reflecting on the enduring impacts of the Trail of Tears. Choose an access point that's close or that interests you and spend time there. Or plan a longer trip with multiple stops for a deeper experience. Trail of Tears National Historic Trail has many points across nine states for delving into this important history, and each state helps tell the story.

Gain insights into Cherokee life before removal at this former Cherokee settlement at the Willstown Mission Cemetery and the home of Andrew Ross, a Cherokee Supreme Court judge. At the beautiful Little River Canyon National Preserve, visitors can connect with this history more deeply.

Get a sense of Cherokee government and civil life in the early 1800s at New Echota State Park by touring the park’s many original and reconstructed buildings, including a print shop, council and courthouses, and barns.

Visit the location of Cherokee winter camps at Camp Ground Church, Hamburg Hill, and McCorkle Creek, where the frigid, harsh winter of 1838 turned what should have been a nine-day section into a several month halt in dangerous conditions.

Contemplate the connection between Lewis and Clark’s trip west to explore the newly acquired Louisiana territory and Indian Removal three decades later where these historic journeys intersect along the Mississippi River at Trail of Tears State Park. From there, drive slightly west to learn about the process required to maintain provisions for such a long trek along the Trail of Tears at Bollinger Mill State Historic Site.

Immerse yourself in Cherokee history and culture at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, on the sovereign lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee. While in the town of Cherokee, stop by the Welcome Center for more information about other cultural attractions before walking the streets looking for statues of bears painted by Cherokee artists with cultural motifs and themes.

Imagine the overwhelming emotions the Cherokee and other southeastern nations felt when they reached the end of the trail in present day Stilwell, Oklahoma. Stop at the Old Railroad Depot for an exhibit on the Cherokee’s arrival before visiting nearby disbandment sites and New Hope Cemetery, where a Cherokee plantation was previously located. Then witness the strength with which the Cherokee rebuilt their nation in their capital of Tahlequah, where you can visit The Cherokee Heritage Center Park entrance in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and the rebuilt Cherokee Female Seminary (now Northeastern State University’s Seminary Hall), the largest building erected by an Indigenous North American tribe at the time of its reopening in 1890.