Trail of Tears State Forest

Trail of Tears State Forest

Parks Directory of the United States / State Parks / Illinois

Location: Southern Illinois, 5 miles northwest of Jonesboro and 20 miles south of Murphysboro.
Facilities: Class C tent camping and Class D backpack campsites, group camping areas, picnic areas, shelters, privies, ball diamond, trails (40 miles).
Activities: Camping, hiking, horseback riding, hunting.
Special Features: In the winter of 1838-1839, the Cherokee, Creek, and Chickasaw nations were forced by the US Army to move from the Southeast to reservations in Oklahoma Territory. They had to stop for the winter in southern Illinois, just south of the present-day state forest, because of floating ice in the Mississippi River. Hundreds died of cold and starvation during this cruel trek, which came to be known as the Trail of Tears (see separate entry on Trail of Tears National Historic Trail in national trails section). Today, Trail of Tears Forest in Illinois is a multiple-use site managed for timber, wildlife, ecosystem preservation, watershed protection, and recreation.
Address: 3240 State Forest Rd
Jonesboro, IL 62952
Phone: 618-833-4910;
Web: dnr.state.il.us/Lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R5/TRLTEARS.HTM
Size: 5,114 acres.

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See other parks in Illinois.