Welcome to Northwest Georgia's Chieftains Trail!

From our broad valleys and rolling hills to the rugged mountains deep in the heart of Northwest Georgia, Native Americans called this land home for 80 centuries. Aboriginal Archaic Indians lived here before 6200 B.C. Woodland Indians proliferated, growing crops and hunting wild game. Moundbuilders of the Mississippian culture spread to North Georgia up the rivers that feed the Gulf of Mexico beginning in 900 A.D..

The last cultural development of the Moundbuilders may have given way to a loose-knit Confederacy known as the Creek Indians. Their cultural history says they came from the west to inhabit the land in Northwest Georgia. They would share the land with the Cherokee, who were being forced west by the encroachment of European settlers further east. The Cherokee would be last great cultural development in Northwest Georgia before their removal in a tragic event known today as "The Trail of Tears."

Chieftains Trail is a unique combination of sites throughout our region that highlights the history of these First Americans. Nowhere else has so much of our Native American heritage been preserved than here in Northwest Georgia, what the Cherokee called, "The Enchanted Land."

Overview of Northwest Georgia's Chieftains Trail

Today, the trail is expanded to include an artistic venture into the western landscapes to which Georgia’s native peoples were driven.  The “Cowboys and Indians in Georgia” travel package offers visitors a unique way to experience Georgia’s native heritage with admission to each of the original Chieftains Trail sites, along with admission to the new Booth Western Art Museum, the Bartow History Center and the Weinman Mineral Museum, all in Cartersville.  The “Cowboys and Indians in Georgia” ticket package is just $26 per adult – a 50% savings on all eight attractions.  In addition, a variety of accommodations are available at a minimum 25 percent savings, including the popular Lodge at Red Top Mountain State Park and the Fort Mountain State Park Lodge. 

For details visit online http://cowboysandindiansingeorgia.com/