Trail of Tears State Park is a public recreation area covering bordering the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
in
Cape Girardeau County
Cape Girardeau County is located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Missouri; its eastern border is formed by the Mississippi River. At the 2020 census, the population was 81,710. The county seat is Jackson, the first city in the US ...
,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
. The
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
stands as a memorial to those
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
Native Americans who died on the
Cherokee Trail of Tears.
[ The park's interpretive center features exhibits about the Trail of Tears as well as displays and specimens of local wildlife.][ An archaeological site in the park was added to the ]National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1970.[
]
Activities and amenities
Activities in the park include camping, picnicking, swimming, hiking, and horseback riding. Fishing is provided at Lake Boutin and on the Mississippi River. A lookout offers a view of the river and Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
on the opposite shore.[ The park has four trails: Peewah - ; Lake – ; Sheppard Point – ; and Nature – .][
]
See also
*Cherokee Nation (19th century)
The Cherokee Nation (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It ...
References
External links
Trail of Tears State Park
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Trail of Tears State Park Map
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
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National Register of Historic Places in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri
Protected areas of Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
State parks of Missouri
Monuments and memorials in Missouri
Protected areas on the Mississippi River
Protected areas established in 1957
Trail of Tears