Following the Trail of Tears Through Kentucky
On this trip, we set out to visit several important Trail of Tears sites in western Kentucky. From where we live, reaching the northern Kentucky stops along the route can take some planning, especially when deciding where to cross the Ohio River.
Looking at the map, the closest bridge crossings are at Shawneetown, Illinois or Paducah, Kentucky—but we chose a different route. Instead, we took the ferry at Cave-In-Rock, which turned out to be a great way to experience this historic region.
After crossing the river we took off down some two-lane back roads as we worked our way down to Mantle Rock Nature Preserve. It was a beautiful drive being that it was spring and everything was turning deep green. There was very little Traffic on the roads so that we both could enjoy looking around.
Starting the visit with a stop at Berry Ferry
We first went to the old ferry crossing at Berry Ferry and John Berry Homesite. From here you can look across the river and see the town of Golconda where the ferry used to go to and the Cherokee went after crossing the Ohio river. This site is now used as a boat ramp for people to get on the river. During the removal many of the Cherokee got stuck on this side of the river when the Ohio River froze over. Then many more was stuck on the Illinois side because the Mississippi River was frozen over also. The ones that were on the Kentucky side waited in and around the Mantle Rock Nature Preserve which we went to next.
Moving down the road to Mantle Rock Nature Preserve
Once we got to the Mantle Rock Nature Preserve there is a nice parking area that you can park in. There is a main path that goes back to the Mantle Rock which most people only go to. After spending time at the Mantle Rock, we decided to hike the trail that loops around the Preserve. This is a very lightly used trail but the views were just as nice as being in the Mantle Rock. This trail will bring you out to the parking lot.
Once we got in the parking lot we started to see that we had lots of seed ticks all over us. Somewhere on the loop trail we must have walked through a nest of them. We ended trying to hide behind the doors of the truck as we had to remove most of our cloths to get as many off as we could. Once we got what we could off we get in the truck and headed to the nearest town that had some place to eat at. We both went in the restrooms and found even more of those little ticks. I will say that is the worst number of ticks that any of us had every gotten in before.
Mantle Rock Nature Preserve – Hiking a Historic Trail of Tears Site in Western Kentucky
Check some of our other Trail of Tears post
Following the Trail of Tears Through Tennessee – Historic Route, Towns, and River Crossings
Lincoln Memorial Picnic Grounds in Illinois – A Historic Stop Along the Trail of Tears
Red Clay State Historic Park – Native American Heritage and the Trail of Tears
Driving the Trail of Tears in Kentucky Today
Following the Trail of Tears route in Kentucky today provides a deeper understanding of the geography, distances, and terrain Cherokee families endured during removal.
While modern highways have replaced many of the original paths, the land, rivers, and mountains remain. Visiting these locations offers both historical education and a meaningful travel experience.
On our Trail of Tears Map page, we will include the route we took to get to the cave-in-rock ferry which you will need if you are following the trail of tears. Once you cross the cave-in-rock ferry into Illinois you will be driving on part of the Ohio River Scenic Byway to get to where the Berry Ferry would land in Golconda.
Trail of Tears Route Guide – Maps, Historic Stops, and Travel Planning
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