Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail

Learn about the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail and earn your junior ranger badge! This activity can be completed virtually or after visiting a site along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Booklets can be submitted either electronically or by mail. Take a look and start exploring the trail today!

The Trail of Tears began in May 1838 when Federal troops and state militias began to round up the Cherokee into stockades. In spite of warnings to troops to treat the Cherokee kindly, the round up proved harrowing. Families were separated and people were given only moments to collect cherished possessions. White looters followed, ransacking homesteads as Cherokee were led away. The Trail of Tears crosses the Natchez Trace Parkway in several locations in Alabama and Tennessee.

The trail commemorates the forced removal of Cherokee from their homelands; the paths that 17 Cherokee detachments followed westward; and the revival of the Cherokee Nation. We encourage you to retrace the trail on foot—to sacred sites that tell the story of suffering and intolerance, but just as important, one of survival. There are a variety of hiking opportunities across the full length of the trail, but we've selected a few places for you to experience.