TRAIL OF TEARS STATE PARK: PARK LURES 200,000 VISITORS ANNUALLY

Assistant park superintendent Rex Jump looked like a part of history as he stood alongside a display at the park's visitor center Wednesday.

Leroy Mier, of Oran, took time off from his farm work Wednesday to take in the view at one of the park's three scenic overlooks above the Mississippi River.

A historical marker, relating the discovery of the area, stands at the entrance to one of the Trail of Tears' three scenic overlooks.

Some of the trails through the park can be a challenge to hikers.

If you're looking for the actual Trail of Tears, you might as well stop now.

Even at Trail of Tears State Park outside Fruitland there is no physical route that marks the passing of thousands of Cherokee Indians more than a century ago.

"A lot of people come in looking for the actual trail," assistant park superintendent Rex Jump said. "It's probably been paved over by now. Roads back then just weren't very good."

The 3,416-acre park is situated where a ferry crossing used to be across the Mississippi River, one of two area places survivors of the Cherokee Nation navigated the river on their forced march from Georgia to Oklahoma. Cape Girardeau is the other crossing.

In 1838 the U.S. government's forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation members, most of whom walked the 800-mile series of paths that produced the Trail of Tears, resulted in more than 4,000 people losing their lives -- a quarter of the Cherokee population.

In the early 1950s, Charles Boutin organized a group of 13 men who accomplished the daunting task of purchasing the land that makes up the Trail of Tears State Park. In 1957 the land was given to the state on condition it remains a state park dedicated to that period in American history.

The park, which entertains more than 230,000 visitors a year, has remained true to Boutin's wishes and features a visitor's center that details the march, the area's role and the region's natural attractions. A 10-minute slide show at the visitor's center presents a concise record of the trail and is an essential feature in understanding the area's history.

In addition to the Trail of Tears State Park's historical significance is the park's natural bounty. Jump said the park teems with coyote, bobcat, deer, fox, eagles and wild turkeys. Bordered by the Mississippi River, the park also features three breathtaking overlooks of the waterway. Most of the overlooks are from vantages far above the rolling waters, providing an unobstructed view for more than a mile in three directions. Park visitors have the option of navigating the 10-mile Peewah hiking trail.

The park also has 54 designated campsites, 20 with electric hookups. The cost for camping in the park is $12 a day, in the summer, for the electrical-hookup sites and $6 a day for the basic sites. There are also winter rates and reduced prices for senior citizens and the handicapped. Jump said more than 7,500 people a year use the campsites.

A feature of the park that combines both nature and history is the 300-acre Vancill Hollow Natural Area, which is maintained in "pristine, pre-settlement condition." It is essentially the same as what the pioneers would have seen, park naturalist Denise Dowling said.

Two day-shelters are also provided for picnickers, Jump said. One, named after John Wescoat who was instrumental in bringing the park into existence, was dedicated just last year.

The park is in a constant state of improvement, paving roads and clearing paths for better accessibility. Another improvement the park management has been working hard to accomplish is becoming certified by the National Parks Association and recognized as an official part of the national 800-mile Trail of Tears.

"It's kind of funny," Jump said. "We're the only park that is dedicated to the Trail of Tears and the National Parks Association has been ignoring us."

So while the trail itself vanished long ago, the Trail of Tears and all its history endures.

The Trail of Tears State Park is 11 miles north of Cape Girardeau on Highway 177. Park hours are from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily during the summer. The park's office can be reached for information at 334-1711.