Hundreds of years before Europeans came to America, the Cherokee people inhabited the southeastern United States in parts of present-day Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Virginia and West Virginia. Here, the Cherokee thrived — reaching a population of 200,000 — and became known as a progressive, civilized and advanced civilization. They developed a trade route, extending from Tennessee to South Carolina, that was later known as the Unicoi Turnpike. It remains one of the oldest trails in North America.

The Age of Exploration brought Europeans to the land that is now the United States of America, and with them came disease. Small pox outbreaks reduced the population of the Cherokee people to just 25,000. The discovery of gold in the area and an influx of white settlers slowly pushed the Cherokee off their land. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act forced the remaining Cherokee people to relocate to new territory in Oklahoma. The route of the exodus, which overlaps with the Unicoi Turnpike, has become known as the Trail of Tears, as an estimated 4,000 people died along the journey west.

Our Role

In 2014, The Conservation Fund collaborated with the U.S. Forest Service to protect 392 acres adjacent to Cherokee National Forest in Coker Creek, Tennessee, near the North Carolina border. This property contains a significant portion of the Unicoi Turnpike Trail and the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

We purchased the entire property in 2013 and began transferring it to the U.S. Forest Service in phases, utilizing funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, America’s premier conservation program. The land will be managed in conjunction with the National Park Service, the Cherokee and Creek tribes, and other state and local agencies and organizations.

Why This Project Matters

The plight of the Native Americans is a shameful stain on our nation’s history, and it is not to be forgotten. We’re striving to honor the memory of the Cherokee people and other tribes by protecting key sites that help us understand their culture and their suffering. Hallowed ground such as this offers an experiential way to learn about the past while, at the same time, enjoying the great outdoors and nature’s abundant resources.