Trail of Tears National Historic Trail commemorates the routes taken by the Cherokee tribes when they were forced from their native lands into reservations in current-day Oklahoma in 1838-1839. 16,000 Cherokee were removed from their homelands in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, and 1,000 died on the journey.

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Trail of Tears Overall rating: ★★★☆☆ 3 based on 1 reviews.
5 1

Wish there was more info

TrailOfTears
★★★☆☆
“ There are road signs marking the routes of the relocation but not enough information at the nearby National Park Service sites”
- Dan

ILNP Rating

ILNP Park Review

Our Visit. Like many national historic trails, you don’t really visit Trail of Tears NHT. Rather, you encounter it via signs along modern-day roads that follow the original courses of the forced relocation.

Trail of Tears US 64 near Savannah TN

Roadside markers like this one are the primary indicator you’re on the route of the Trail of Tears

Overall Impression. The low rating here does not reflect the historic value of the trail but rather its difficult-to-learn-about nature. While markers can be seen all along the route and NPS passport stamps can be obtained in visitor centers of nearby NPS units, I’ve found very little information on this historic event within the NPS sites.

Visiting. Trail of Tears was not one route, but rather a network of roads and riverways used during the many months of the relocation. Most National Historic Trails have some connection between the trail and NPS sites along the way (e.g., Fort Union and the Santa Fe Trail) allowing you to learn more about the trail. Unfortunately, the NPS sites along the Trail of Tears NHT were not necessarily connected with the relocation. It is easy enough to follow one of the routes on a map and visit NPS sites along the way, but I’m not convinced you would really get to know much about the plight of the Cherokee along the Trail of Tears.

NPS sites along Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

Official NPS Website Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

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