At the time of early settlement, Kentucky looked very different than it does today. Over two million acres of the state were native prairie, maintained through the use of fire by American Indians over thousands of years. Exclusion of fire, . . . — — Map (db m174681) HM
"We found them in the forest camped for the night by the road side under a severe fall of rain accompanied by heavy wind. With their canvas for a shield from the inclemency of the weather, and the cold wet ground for a resting place, after the . . . — — Map (db m174684) HM
Hiking Trail Map
You are invited to walk along the same path the Cherokee traveled in 1838-1839.
Retracing the Trail of Tears
During that harsh winter, 11 detachments containing more than 10,000 Cherokee passed through this area, . . . — — Map (db m174657) HM
Over 1,400 Cherokee men, women, and children from Peter Hildebrand's detachment spent two bitterly cold weeks camped in this area during the harsh winter of 1838-1839.
The detachments ahead of them had successfully crossed the icy Ohio River, . . . — — Map (db m174648) HM
The stream in front of you is a tributary to McGilligan Creek, a unique stream in western Kentucky. Most rivers and streams in this part of the state are muddy and full of sediments. McGilligan Creek, a rocky, clear-flowing stream with a . . . — — Map (db m174690) HM
Protect
The story of Mantle Rock Nature Preserve begins with its rare and fragile sandstone glades, which inspired The Nature Conservancy to protect the area. Glades are characterized by low-fertility soils in which only certain species . . . — — Map (db m174695) HM
Here, you leave the historic Trail of Tears original route. It turns to your right, across the creek onto private property, and continues to the Ohio River. The Cherokee crossed the river at Berry's Ferry, landing at Golconda. From there, they . . . — — Map (db m174687) HM
Mantle Rock is the largest freestanding arch east of the Mississippi River. It is 188 feet long and 30 feet high. Some of the plants found here are not known to grow anywhere else in Kentucky. This very beautiful and historic place has many . . . — — Map (db m159929) HM
Home to thousands of men, women, and children, the Cherokee Nation once spread across Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. The 1830 Indian Removal Act required that the Cherokee surrender their land and move west.
In 1838, more . . . — — Map (db m174647) HM
"...we have Suffered a great deal...The roads are in very bad Order as the ground was frozen very deep...We have been lying by about two weeks...The [river] has been full of large quantities of floating Ice...we must calculate on suffering a . . . — — Map (db m174656) HM
"The Indians as a whole carry in their countenances every thing but the appearance of happiness. Some carry a downcast dejected look bordering on the appearance of despair…" - New York Observer, January 26, . . . — — Map (db m174677) HM
This tree was only a seedling when the Cherokee paused here. Imagine the scene - it was a tree like this one that a weary Cherokee man sat against in a winter camp. His family struggled to make a simple, warm, resting place for his family elder, . . . — — Map (db m174682) HM
