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What 2 Days in Cleveland, TN Taught Me About Cherokee History

ByPaige Watts

I came to Cleveland, Tennessee expecting a small-town weekend with a few historic stops, local shops, and good food. What I found instead was a place where Cherokee history kept showing up over and over again — not just at historic sites, but in the land itself, in local agriculture, and in the communities still shaped by that history today.

Cleveland isn’t just a small Tennessee city near Chattanooga or the Ocoee. It’s part of a region deeply shaped by Cherokee history and their forced removal, and spending two days here made me realize how much of that history is still visible if you slow down and pay attention.

This isn’t a traditional itinerary. It’s the story of what 2 days in Cleveland, TN taught me about Cherokee history, and how that history still shapes the land and community today.

A special thanks to Visit Cleveland, TN for hosting my trip! As always, all opinions are my own.

Tall carved wooden sculpture of a solemn face stands on a round stone base outside the modern brick and stone building of the Museum and Cultural Center at 5ive Points in Cleveland, Tennessee, surrounded by shrubs and yellow flowers under a clear blue sky. The oversized totem like figure and formal entrance make the scene feel like a prominent public art piece welcoming visitors.

Where Cleveland’s Cherokee History Comes Into Focus

We rolled into Red Clay State Historic Park on a humid spring morning, about a 45-minute drive from Downtown Chattanooga. We stepped off the bus to a view of meadows lined with pine trees and historic wooden buildings in the distance.

Red Clay was the last capital of the Cherokee Nation and is where they held their final council meeting before the Trail of Tears.

In a way, it’s the start of the Trail of Tears. But the harder truth is that removal began at individual homesteads, as Cherokee families were forced from the places they lived.

Our first stop at the park was the interpretive center, where we watched a short video called “We Are Still Here”, highlighting the story of the Council Grounds at Red Clay and the lead-up to the Trail of Tears. Then we walked through their small museum that displays artifacts from this historic site.

Museum exhibit wall with two large history panels flanking a digital screen that shows an animated girl in a pink dress standing inside a log cabin at Red Clay State Historic Park in Cleveland, Tennessee. The panels include the titles "THE CREEK REMOVAL FROM RED CLAY" and "DEBATING REMOVAL AT RED CLAY," while the screen reads "It was exhausting. We traveled in a wagon pulled by oxen. My father hunted for food like turkeys and deer," making the display feel immersive and focused on personal stories of forced removal.
Small stone memorial at Red Clay State Historic Park in Cleveland, Tennessee with an eternal flame burns inside a fenced enclosure in a grassy clearing bordered by tall trees. The engraved marker above the flame identifies it as the "ETERNAL FLAME OF THE CHEROKEE NATION," and the quiet wooded setting makes the memorial feel solemn and reflective.
Wide grassy clearing shaded by tall trees opens onto a small rustic cabin tucked in the distance, with sunlight filtering through broad branches in the foreground at Red Clay State Historic Park in Cleveland, Tennessee. The open lawn and surrounding woods make the setting feel quiet, historic, and removed from the road.
Two small log cabins sit beside a curving paved path at the edge of a wooded area at Red Clay State Historic Park in Cleveland, Tennessee, with bright sun filtering through the trees and casting long shadows across the grass. The simple cabins and quiet forest backdrop make the scene feel historic, preserved, and meant for visitors to walk through and explore.
Small clear pond sits tucked into a wooded area at Red Clay State Historic Park in Cleveland, Tennessee, with trees and leafy undergrowth reflected in the still water and a narrow wooden footbridge crossing the stream to the right. The shaded forest setting and calm pool make the scene feel secluded, quiet, and naturally peaceful.

My favorite exhibit is an interactive AI experience where you can talk with Rebecca Ketcher, a young Cherokee girl who walked the Trail of Tears. The experience is created using interviews from the real Rebecca Ketcher. You can ask her questions about her experience, and it’s an incredible way the state park is bringing history to life.

Afterwards, we walked the paved interpretive trail, which took us to the sacred Blue Hole Spring, a sacred water source still used by the Cherokee today. The trail also took us to replica Cherokee structures like Sleeping Huts, a Farm House, the Council House, and a Blacksmith Shop, that demonstrate how the Cherokee lived before they were removed from the land.

Starting our trip at Red Clay gave me the foundation I needed for the rest of the trip. The history I learned here made each of our next stops feel less like separate attractions and more like pieces of the same story.

Red Clay State Historic Park is a slower, reflective stop. Give yourself at least an hour or more if you want to walk the grounds and read through the exhibits.

Red Clay was only the beginning of understanding how this history moves through the region.

The Hardest History Deserves More Than a Quick Stop

Red Clay was a headquarters for the Cherokee Nation, but the small town of Charleston, TN was the US military headquarters for the entire removal operation. This is a history that might have been forgotten if it weren’t for the hard work of the Hiwassee River Heritage Center.

Roadside sign reads "Trail of Tears National Historic Trail" and "HIWASSEE RIVER HERITAGE CENTER" beside a two lane road under a bright blue sky. The sign places the location within the Trail of Tears history while showing the heritage center in a present day roadside setting at the Hiwassee River Heritage Center in Charleston, Tennessee.
Two large framed paintings hang on an exterior wall, one showing a bird soaring over green mountains and the other showing clay pots, flowers, berries, and a small bird arranged inside a circle of feathers. Displayed side by side on a covered walkway at the Hiwassee River Heritage Center in Charleston, Tennessee, the artwork gives the building a gallery like feel and highlights nature and Cherokee inspired imagery.
Museum gallery displays artifacts in glass cases, including bead necklaces, tools, and other small objects, with interpretive panels and painted portraits mounted along the walls behind them at the Hiwassee River Heritage Center in Charleston, Tennessee. The labeled exhibits and historical text make the room feel educational, respectful, and focused on Native history and cultural interpretation.
Curving concrete path winds through a grassy field lined with interpretive history signs, including one titled "ANTICIPATION GROWS," under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. The quiet trail and educational panels make the space feel like an outdoor heritage walk designed for reflection and learning at the Hiwassee River Heritage Center in Charleston, Tennessee.

This was the site of Fort Cass, where there was the largest concentration of internment camps holding the Cherokee before their journey west on the Trail of Tears. The small museum at the heritage center details the town’s difficult history.

During our visit, we had the rare opportunity to have lunch with the “Remember the Removal” Bicycle Riders.

Group of Remember the Removal cyclists in matching jerseys and helmets rides single file along a curved sidewalk through a grassy park at the Hiwassee River Heritage Center in Charleston, Tennessee while spectators and more riders gather in the background under a bright blue sky. The coordinated gear and procession make the scene feel like an organized community bike ride or charity cycling event.
Hand holds a poster outdoors in a grassy field that reads "REMEMBER THE REMOVAL 2026 BIKE RIDE" and shows an illustrated cyclist in a white helmet and red, yellow, black, and white jersey riding across a muted map background with large white flowers around the border. The "Cherokee Nation" logo near the bottom and the bright outdoor setting connect the poster to a commemorative ride honoring the history of removal.

Every year, members of the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians join together to bike the entire 950-mile journey of the northern route of the Trail of Tears, honoring the removal of their ancestors.

The cyclists make stops along the route at important historical sites, like Red Clay, the Hiwassee River Heritage Center, and the Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park. Our visit was timed just right for us to share a meal and conversation with the cyclists, learning what inspired them to join the memorial ride and hearing of their training and long days of riding.

As we moved through Cleveland, Charleston, and Bradley County, I began to realize that our route was also following along the northern route of the Trail of Tears.

The Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park is on the riders’ itinerary, and it was on ours as well. Formerly called the Cherokee Removal Memorial Park, this state park is located at the site where detachments of Native Americans waited to cross the Tennessee River on their forced removal.

Large wooden sign stands on a grassy lawn in front of trees and reads "CHEROKEE TRAIL OF TEARS STATE PARK" and "ESTABLISHED 2026." The clear blue sky and rustic fence behind it make the entrance feel peaceful while the sign marks Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park in Birchwood, Tennessee.
Tall dark granite memorial panels stand in an open plaza at Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park in Birchwood, Tennessee, with polished surfaces reflecting visitors while long columns of engraved names fill the stone under the heading "GEORGIA." The scale, reflective finish, and solemn engraved text make the monument feel quiet, weighty, and commemorative.
Sunlight breaks through a canopy of leafy trees and reflects in a bright path across the water, with the shoreline shaded by brush and tree trunks in the foreground. The framing through the branches makes the lakeside view feel quiet, secluded, and especially peaceful at golden hour at Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park in Birchwood, Tennessee.
Long shadows of three people stretch across a large engraved ground map at Cherokee showing Tennessee and surrounding states, with labeled cities including Nashville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, and Fort Payne.
Outdoor gathering at Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park in Birchwood, Tennessee with a speaker at a podium, flags beside the stage, and rows of attendees seated or standing in a semicircle under bright sun. The group in matching jerseys seated in front and the engraved stone monuments behind the speaker make the event feel formal, reflective, and community centered.

We were at the Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park for another rare occasion — the newly designated state park was being dedicated and officially renamed. The state park was celebrated with speeches and songs from the Cherokee people and dedications from community and state leaders.

And while the appointment of a new state park was a celebratory occasion, the difficult history still remains. An estimated 10,000 Cherokee were forced to cross the river here in 1838 and leave behind their native land.

The main focal point of the park is a Memorial Wall that lists the 2,535 Heads of Household, along with the number of household members, from the 1835 Census of the Cherokee Nation, taken to identify those to be removed along the Trail of Tears.

The memorial and river overlook are places for quiet reflection.

As we moved into the more relaxed parts of our trip, we didn’t completely leave the heavy history behind. One thing was very clear: this is a place where the land continues to shape the story.

Agriculture Isn’t a Side Story Here

Cleveland’s agriculture stops gave me another way to understand the same region. The land here continues to shape what people grow, make, sell, and share with their community.

Table display at Loof’n Round Gardens in Cleveland, Tennessee features natural loofah sponges and scrubbers arranged in baskets and trays, with colorful tags that read "Loof'n Round Gardens" and "100% Natural Loofah Scrubber." The dried flowers, handmade soaps, and garden rows blurred in the background make the setup feel like a small farm stand selling natural bath products.

At Loof’n Round Gardens, I learned far more about loofahs than I ever expected to know. I’d only thought of loofahs as bathroom scrubbers, but here they grow on vines and can be turned into everything from body exfoliators to household cleaning products, tea, seed oil, and salve. This isn’t your typical farm tour — it’s a small, local business that’s doing something entirely unique.

Rows of bright green grapevines stretch across a hillside vineyard, opening to a wide view of blue mountain ridges beneath a broad sky filled with scattered white clouds at Morris Vineyard & Winery in Charleston, TN. The layered landscape and vineyard foreground make the scene feel open, peaceful, and distinctly wine country.

Morris Vineyard & Winery brought with it some of the most scenic views in Bradley County, with mountains rising beyond the rows of vines. It immediately made me want to sit down and stay a while. This family-owned winery makes muscadine and fruit wines, and they also have U-pick grapes, muscadines, and berries in season. I started with the complimentary tasting, then added a flight so I could try a few more. The White Muscadine, Mountain Falls, Mountain Rouge, Strazberry, and Appleberry were my favorites.

Rustic store shelves are lined with rows of bottled fruit ciders in shades of gold, red, purple, and brown, with labels such as "Peach Cider" visible on the front bottles at Apple Valley Orchards in Cleveland, Tennessee. The colorful lineup and wood paneled shop interior make the display feel like a country orchard market stocked with many seasonal drink flavors.

Apple Valley Orchard is a great stop, whether it’s peak fall season or not. The store and bakery are stocked with seasonal fruits, locally made goat cheese, jams, jellies, and baked goods, while the bakery case has fresh apple cider donuts, apple fritters, and fried pies. I grabbed an apple cider donut and a small bottle of strawberry cider to go. It’s the perfect morning stop.

Where Cleveland’s Local Side Shows Up

Cleveland’s local community is what makes the city feel alive beyond its historic sites.

Breaded cutlet on an oval plate is topped with a bright arugula salad, halved cherry tomatoes, and capers, with a pale creamy sauce pooling underneath from Inman Social in Cleveland, Tennessee. The crisp coating and fresh greens make the dish feel like a lighter upscale entrée with both crunch and freshness.
Burger with a glossy brioche bun, leafy lettuce, and a thick beef patty sits beside a pile of thin fries on a white plate at a busy restaurant table at Headrick's Gourmet Burger Bar in Cleveland, Tennessee. The close angle and casual dining background make the meal feel hearty, classic, and served for a relaxed dinner out.

Restaurants like Inman Social and Headrick’s Gourmet Burger Bar bring Cleveland’s food scene to the forefront. Inman Social’s Italian-focused seasonal menu from a two-time James Beard semi-finalist chef isn’t what you might expect to find in a small Tennessee city. For a completely different taste, Headrick’s serves up award-winning Hot Slaw, a dish Cleveland is known for.

Museum display at Museum and Cultural Center at 5ive Points in Cleveland, Tennessee pairs a tall wooden bookcase filled with old books, medicine bottles, and apothecary items beside a vintage gramophone and a dark floral Victorian dress hanging on a mannequin. The arrangement feels like a preserved turn of the century room, using everyday objects and clothing to show how people once lived and worked.
Narrow library aisle lined with tall shelves packed with books stretches toward more stacks at the back under bright fluorescent lights at the Cleveland/Bradley Public Library History Branch in Cleveland, Tennessee. The orderly shelves and quiet empty walkway make the space feel studious, enclosed, and built for focused research.

Beyond the major Cherokee history sites, Downtown Cleveland keeps the history alive through places like the History Branch and Archives of the Cleveland Bradley County Library and the Museum and Cultural Center at 5ive Points. We followed up our weekend of history with a visit to the library’s History Branch, which has a great genealogy program and local history collection. The Museum and Cultural Center gave us a look at Cleveland’s more modern history in addition to its Cherokee history.

Small art studio gallery at ArtHouse Project in Cleveland, Tennessee with an easel in the center and walls covered in colorful framed paintings, including landscapes, florals, portraits, and abstract scenes. The scattered artwork, supplies, and display tables make the room feel like a cozy working studio where visitors can browse and watch art being made.
Cozy boutique shop filled with home decor and gift items includes shelves of pillows, signs, lamps, framed pieces, handbags, and small seasonal accents arranged in layered displays at Grit & Grace Market in Cleveland, Tennessee. The warm lighting, exposed beams, and crowded tables make the space feel charming, rustic, and fun to browse slowly.

The ArtHouse Project and Grit & Grace Market showed me the more creative side of Cleveland. The ArtHouse Project is a local artist and makers space that hosts open studios, classes, workshops, shows, and small events, giving visitors a look at the creative community active in the city now. Grit & Grace Market, located inside the Old Woolen Mill, is part antique store and part local goods market, with around 100 vendors selling gifts, clothing, handmade jewelry, vintage finds, and locally made products. It’s also a good place to pick up Loof’n Round Gardens products if you don’t make it out to the garden itself!

By the end of the trip, these stops helped balance the heavier parts of the itinerary. Cleveland’s Cherokee history was the heart of the trip, and it was such an impactful history to learn, but the city’s restaurants, artists, and local businesses gave me a better sense of Cleveland as it exists now, not just as a place shaped by the past.

A Thoughtful 2-Day Cleveland, Tennessee Itinerary

Want to discover Cleveland’s Cherokee history for yourself? Follow my exact itinerary:

Day 1: Cherokee history, agriculture, and reflection

  • Morning: Red Clay State Historic Park
  • Late morning: Loof’n Round Gardens
  • Midday: Hiwassee River Heritage Center
  • Afternoon: Morris Vineyard & Winery
  • Late afternoon: Cherokee Removal Memorial Park
  • Evening: Dinner at Inman Social
  • Overnight: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Cleveland Northwest

Day 2: Orchards, archives, downtown, and local makers

  • Morning: Apple Valley Orchard
  • Late morning: History Branch and Archives of the Cleveland Bradley County Library
  • Midday: Museum and Cultural Center at 5ive Points
  • Lunch: Headrick’s Gourmet Burger Bar
  • Afternoon: Arthouse Project, Grit & Grace Market, and First Bloom

2 Days in Cleveland, TN Map

Ready to explore all of Cleveland, Tennessee’s Cherokee history and local agriculture? Use the map below to find each activity.

I hope you have a great time exploring Bradley County’s historical sites!

Where to Stay in Cleveland, TN

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Cleveland Northwest

Modern hotel room with a king bed dressed in crisp white bedding sits between two lit bedside lamps, with dark wood furniture, a blue accent wall, and a small desk and chair near the window. The clean layout and soft warm lighting make the room feel simple, spacious, and comfortable for an overnight stay at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Cleveland Northwest in Cleveland, Tennessee.

During my weekend in Cleveland, TN, I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Cleveland Northwest. This hotel has a great location just off I-75, so it’s an easy drive to all the attractions in Cleveland and throughout Bradley County.

My room was large, the bed was comfortable, and I appreciated having a free breakfast to keep me fueled for a day of exploring.

Book your stay at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Cleveland Northwest here.

More Southeast Tennessee Adventures

Find more fun things to do in this part of Tennessee in my posts below:

Ready to visit Cleveland, TN? Plan your trip with these tips.

Cheers!

Paige

What 2 Days in Cleveland, TN Taught Me About Cherokee History

Have you explored these Cherokee historical sites in Cleveland, TN? Let me know in the comments!

Paige Watts is a travel expert and author of What's With Atlanta?, a guide to the quirks and charm of the ATL. A life-long traveler, Paige is dedicated to helping you discover the best things to do in the Southern USA and around the world. Her work has been featured in The Culture Trip, Matador, Newsbreak, MSN, NPR, and countless other interviews and podcasts.

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