# The Trail of Tears: Georgia to Kentucky *the northern road of the removal* The Trail of Tears: Georgia to Kentucky is a ~350-mile back-roads route from New Echota to Hopkinsville on GA 225, US 41 and US 41A, driven in 3 days, that stays off I-75 / I-24 through the Deep South. - **Drive:** New Echota → Hopkinsville - **Distance:** ~350 mi - **Days:** 3 - **Highways:** GA 225, US 41, US 41A - **Avoids:** I-75 / I-24 - **Region:** Deep South - **Themes:** History & Markers, Natural Beauty, Small Towns, Civil War In 1838 the Cherokee Nation was force-marched west, and the Northern Route's detachments crossed Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky along the line this drive follows: the capital at New Echota where a minority faction signed the removal treaty, the last council fires at Red Clay, the Tennessee River crossing at Blythe Ferry, and the Hopkinsville campground where two chiefs died and are buried. The national historic trail's shields mark the way; the atlas just keeps you company. Markers: Follow the NPS Trail of Tears NHT shields; every state adds its own wayside layer. ## The drive, segment by segment ### The Cherokee Capitals *New Echota → Chattanooga · ~70 mi* The print-shop capital, the Vann House's brick grandeur, Red Clay's council springs, and the river departure at Ross's Landing. Stops: - **New Echota** (Calhoun) · History & Markers — Capital of the Cherokee Nation: the Phoenix print shop, the courthouse, and the house where a minority faction signed the nation away in 1835. - **Chief Vann House** (Chatsworth) · History & Markers — James Vann's 1804 brick mansion, called the showplace of the Cherokee Nation, its floating staircase intact. - **Red Clay** (Cleveland, TN) · History & Markers — The nation's last council ground before removal, blue spring still rising; an eternal flame burns at the site. - **The Passage at Ross's Landing** (Chattanooga) · History & Markers — A weeping wall of public art at a principal departure point, running from the Aquarium down to the river the detachments left by. ### Across the Plateau *Chattanooga → Murfreesboro · ~130 mi* Blythe Ferry's memorial at the crossing, then the plateau towns to Middle Tennessee. Stops: - **Blythe Ferry Memorial** (Birchwood) · History & Markers — Where nine detachments waited to cross the Tennessee; the memorial's walls carry the names of the removed families. ### The Northern Road *Murfreesboro → Hopkinsville · ~150 mi* Through Nashville and Port Royal's trail ruts to the Kentucky campground where the chiefs rest. Stops: - **Port Royal State Historic Park** (Adams) · History & Markers — A campsite on the northern route with surviving trail ruts and a pretty ruin of a river town around them. - **Trail of Tears Park** (Hopkinsville) · History & Markers — The encampment where Chiefs Fly Smith and Whitepath died and are buried; an intertribal powwow gathers here each September. ## Tips and best time to go - The certified NHT auto route occasionally departs from this line; when the shields disagree with the atlas, follow the shields. - Chain the Georgia end to the Dixie Highway 41 route at Resaca, 15 minutes from New Echota. ## Worth a detour - **Stones River National Battlefield** — The bloody New Year's battle of 1862-63 at Murfreesboro, with the oldest intact Civil War monument on any field. - **Dunbar Cave** — A Clarksville cave with prehistoric Mississippian art on its walls and a swing-era dance floor at its mouth. Both true. ## Frequently asked questions ### How long is The Trail of Tears: Georgia to Kentucky and how many days does it take? The Trail of Tears: Georgia to Kentucky is about 350 miles and takes 3 days at a back-roads pace. ### Where does The Trail of Tears: Georgia to Kentucky start and end? It runs from New Echota to Hopkinsville. ### Which highways does The Trail of Tears: Georgia to Kentucky follow? It follows GA 225, US 41 and US 41A. ### Which interstate does The Trail of Tears: Georgia to Kentucky replace? It avoids I-75 / I-24, using GA 225, US 41 and US 41A instead. ### How many stops are on The Trail of Tears: Georgia to Kentucky, and what are the highlights? 7 stops are mapped, including New Echota, Chief Vann House, Red Clay, The Passage at Ross's Landing and Blythe Ferry Memorial. ## Connects with - [US 41: Dixie Highway, Nashville to Chattanooga](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dixie-hwy-nashville) — Nashville → Chattanooga - [US 41: Dixie Highway & the Atlanta Campaign](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dixie-hwy-41) — Chattanooga → Atlanta - [The Overhill Country](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/overhill) — Chattanooga → Gatlinburg --- Canonical URL: https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/trail-of-tears-north Publisher: Dixie Media (Dixie Road Trip, https://dixieroadtrip.com/) Last updated: 2026-10-05