“The beginning of the Trail of Tears”
Red Clay State Historic Park is located in southern Bradley County, Tennessee. The park is also listed as an interpretive center along the Cherokee Trail of Tears. It encompasses 263 acres (1.06 km2) of land and is located just above the Tennessee-Georgia state line. Red Clay is where the Trail of Tears really began, for it was at the Red Clay Council Grounds that the Cherokee learned that they had lost their mountains, streams and valleys forever. The park is home to a natural landmark, Blue Hole Spring, which arises from beneath a limestone ledge to form a deep pool that flows into Mill Creek, a tributary of the Conasauga and Coosa River system. The spring was used by the Cherokee for their water supply during council meetings.
Reviews
Beautiful, soulful place to go to remember your heritage, not just to "have a picnic". This land is sacred land, and to those of us with Cherokee blood in our veins it means so much more than a "nice place to spend time". Take advantage of the history that is there, it is very important to all of us. - Kim
Nice place to spend some time and have a picnic
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Red Clay State Park
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- Sun - Sat: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
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