View source for Trail of Tears State Forest

{{Short description|State forest in Illinois, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox Protected area
| name = Trail of Tears State Forest
| photo = An NTIR sign marking the Original Route at the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail in Union County, Illinois (74a2a219-abeb-4aab-93ce-0c99d0ef0d25).JPG
| map = Illinois
| map_caption = Map of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Illinois]] showing the location of Trail of Tears State Forest
| location = [[Union County, Illinois|Union County]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]]
| nearest_city = [[Jonesboro, Illinois]]
| coordinates = {{coord|37|30|55|N|89|20|25|W|display=inline, title}}
| area = {{convert|5114|acre|ha}}
| established = 1929
| visitation_num = 
| visitation_year = 
| governing_body = [[Illinois Department of Natural Resources]]
}}

'''Trail of Tears State Forest''' is a State of Illinois [[conservation area]] on {{convert|5114|acre|ha}} in [[Union County, Illinois|Union County]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]].<ref name="McFarland">Joe McFarland, "High Country Forest", ''Outdoor Illinois'' XVIII:12 (December 2010), pages 2-5.</ref>
[[File:Union Lookout, Trail of Tears SF.jpg|thumb|The view of Trail of Tears State Forest from the west]]
Trail of Tears was established in 1929 when Illinois purchased {{convert|3000|acre|ha|adj=on}} acres of [[Shawnee Hills]] land and used the resulting land to create the ''Kohn-Jackson Forest'' (later ''Union County State Forest'').  Soon afterwards, the state park was improved with work performed by the [[Civilian Conservation Corps]].  Subsequent land acquisitions created the {{convert|5114|acre|ha|adj=on}} Trail of Tears State Forest of today.  The forest occupies land near the route followed by the [[Cherokee]] in December 1838 during their forced relocation in the [[Trail of Tears]].<ref name="McFarland"/>

Today's state forest contains a state [[Plant nursery|tree nursery]], the {{convert|222|acre|ha|adj=on}} Ozark Hills Nature Preserve, and {{convert|22|mi}} of trails for hiking and equestrian use.  The nearest town of any size is [[Jonesboro, Illinois]].<ref name="McFarland"/>

==See also==
* [[Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cite web |url= https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/Parks/Pages/TrailOfTears.aspx |title= Trail of Tears State Forest |access-date= 2018-07-19 |publisher= [[Illinois Department of Natural Resources]] |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070425062754/http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R5/TRLTEARS.htm |archive-date= 2007-04-25 }}

{{Protected Areas of Illinois}}

[[Category:Illinois state forests]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Union County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1929]]
[[Category:1929 establishments in Illinois]]


{{UnionCountyIL-geo-stub}}
{{Illinois-protected-area-stub}}