Traveling the Old Copper Road

Traveling the Old Copper Road. . Gold Prospectors Find Copper , It was probably a surprise to the prospectors in 1843. They were searching for a rich "mother load" of gold, but found instead massive veins of rich copper ore, near present day Ducktown., By 1850, a mine was in production, but it took three more years to construct a route that would connect the area to the railroad in Cleveland, 33 miles away. Cherokee Indians - here "in hiding" to escape the Trail of Tears - helped blast rock, dig dirt, and hand-pile rock retaining walls. This route became known as the Old Copper Road. , A Long Haul Becomes Short , Using teams of mules and wagons, it took two days to haul the copper ore those difficult 33 miles. In the 1930s, US Highway 64 was built, following much of the original Old Copper Road route. A three mile stretch (converted to the hiking trail ahead of you) is the only part of this historic road still in existence. , Trail Notes , Length: 2.4 miles one way (to the dam) , Uses: Open to hikers and bikers. Horses and motorized vehicles are prohibited. , Terrain: Fairly smooth and flat , Don't Be a Thief of Time , Remnants of the historic road are sometimes found along the trail. Please leave what you find for others to discover. , As you hike this trail, imagine the sweat and toil necessary to carve the route out of this rocky landscape., [Caption]: Freight Haulers / Above Ground Workers , [Caption]: Ducktown - circa 1900 , [Caption]: Miners in Burra Burra Mine - circa 1902