Trail of Tears State Park is a 3,415-acre public recreation area in Cape Girardeau County, located along the banks of the Mississippi River.
The park is intended to serve as a memorial for the more than 16,000 Cherokee indigenous people who were forcibly removed from their homes along the Cherokee Trail of Tears during the winter of 1839-1839, with a focus on the more than 4,000 Cherokee who lost their lives during the removal process.
A public interpretive center details the history of the Trail of Tears through a variety of interactive exhibits, while an archaeological site related to the Cherokee is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Park visitors can fish at the 20-acre Lake Boutin, swim or canoe along the Mississippi River waterfront, or explore the park's four visitor trails, which wind through the Indian Creek and Vancil Hollow Natural Areas.
Basic and electric hookup campsites are offered at the park, along with amenities such as restrooms, showers, and a dumping station.
429 Moccasin Springs Rd, Jackson, MO 63755, Phone: 573-290-5268
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