Trail of Tears State Park | |
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Location | Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States |
Coordinates | 37°28′20″N 89°29′37″W / 37.47222°N 89.49361°W [1] |
Area | 3,415.39 acres (13.8216 km2) [2] |
Elevation | 486 ft (148 m) [1] |
Established | 1957 [3] |
Visitors | 109,867 (in 2022) [4] |
Governing body | Missouri Department of Natural Resources |
Website | Trail of Tears State Park |
Trail of Tears State Park Archaeological Site | |
Nearest city | Oriole, Missouri |
Area | 19.3 acres (7.8 ha) |
NRHP reference No. | 70000326 |
Added to NRHP | December 2, 1970 |
Trail of Tears State Park is a public recreation area covering 3,415 acres (1,382 ha) bordering the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. The state park stands as a memorial to those Cherokee Native Americans who died on the Cherokee Trail of Tears. [5] The park's interpretive center features exhibits about the Trail of Tears as well as displays and specimens of local wildlife. [6] An archaeological site in the park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. [7]
Activities in the park include camping, picnicking, swimming, hiking, and horseback riding. Fishing is provided at 20-acre (8.1 ha) Lake Boutin and on the Mississippi River. A lookout offers a view of the river and Illinois on the opposite shore. [5] The park has four trails: Peewah - 9 miles (14 km); Lake – 2.25 miles (3.62 km); Sheppard Point – 1.3 miles (2.1 km); and Nature – 0.6 miles (0.97 km). [8]