After Cherokee were forcibly removed from their homes they were marched to temporary camps and forts. The next phase sent them to larger departure camps in Tennessee. Cherokee were assigned to detachments that were organized by military or Cherokee leaders. The first three military-led detachments left on the water route, but disease, desertions, and fatalities caused Cherokee leaders to request permission to organize their own removal detachments and travel overland. You can visit several of the departure locations.
These sites also provide a glimpse of the Cherokee homeland.
This itinerary connects to the Find Your Park! Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service