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large white house, green lawn, two trees in front Photo: NPS

Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail

National Historic Trail · Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee

Remember and commemorate the survival of the Cherokee people, forcefully removed from their homelands in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to live in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma.

Plan your visit Directions
  • LocationSanta Fe, NM
  • Entrance No fee listed
  • HoursOpen 24 hours, daily
  • Weather now65°F Clear
  • Alerts No active alerts

They traveled by foot, horse, wagon, or steamboat in 1838-1839.

Topics
  • Archeology
  • Architecture and Building
  • Arts
  • Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite
  • Farming and Agriculture
  • Forced Marches
  • Forts
  • Native American Heritage
10 more topics
  • Photography
  • Plantations
  • Roads, Routes and Highways
  • Schools and Education
  • Tragic Events
  • Trails
  • Trains and Railroads
  • Transportation
  • Tribal Conflicts
  • Wars and Conflicts
structure in the background with large chimney on the end; signs saying Brown's Ferry Tavern
Cherokee leader John Brown, who owned 640 acres in this area, ordered the construction of Browns Ferry Tavern in 1803. In 1838, the road running past this structure was the route by which several Cherokee detachments were removed to present-day Oklahoma. — NPS

Things to Do

3 experiences from the National Park Service, plus every activity offered in the park. Check details on NPS.gov before you go.

Showing 3 of 3

Activities in the park

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Plan Your Visit

Hours

Open 24 hours, daily · Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

Hours details
  • Trail of Tears National Historic TrailOpen 24 hours, daily

    OPERATING HOURS VARY FROM SITE TO SITE. There are many historic sites, museums, and parks (federal, state, and local) along the Trail of Tears in Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, or Oklahoma for you to visit. Please contact individual sites for more information by going to Plan Your Visit and selecting Places To Go or Passport Program, where sites are listed by state, and there is an interactive map to search for sites.

Entrance fees

No entrance fees listed.

Address

National Trails Office Regions 6, 7, & 8, Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87505

Get directions Map & directions info

Contact the park

Weather & conditions

65°F
Clear · feels like 63°
  • Today 93° 65°
    Sunny
    1% rain
  • Tomorrow 95° 68°
    Sunny
    1% rain
  • Wednesday 94° 74°
    Sunny
    57% rain

Updated 5 hr ago

What to expect by season

Due to the length of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, be sure to consult local weather sources for the region you'll be visiting. Check out the forecast with the National Weather Service and search for the area you'd like to visit: www.weather.gov

Photos

  • sunlight coming through trees with green leaves
    Thousands of Cherokee camped for weeks along the main (northern) route, near Mantle Rock, during the winter of 1838-39 as they waited for ice conditions in the Ohio River to allow a safe crossing. — NPS
  • dozens of people walk a section of the Trail of Tears, winter scene, trees with no leaves
  • gravestone with words etched, green grass
  • Two people walk a remnant of the Trail of Tears. Spring setting with green leafed trees.

Getting There

National Trails Office Regions 6, 7, & 8, Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87505

You can visit many of the sites along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail over the 2,200+ mile route that crosses 9 states.

Get directions NPS directions Official NPS site

Mailing address: National Trails Office Regions 6, 7, & 8, Santa Fe, NM 87505

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