Xplore Moccasin Bend

Explore the 12,000-year history of Moccasin Bend Nat’l Archeological District.

Moccasin Bend National Archeological District is one of the best-preserved, most important, and most concentrated archeological assemblages representing the sequence of southeastern American Indian cultures known to have survived in the Tennessee River Valley. Its importance was recognized in its designation as the first national archeological district in 2003 when, after decades of advocacy, ‘The Bend’ officially became a part of the National Park Service as the 6th unit of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. The area retains profound cultural importance for contemporary American Indian tribes with ancestral ties to the area, as well as significant African American, Trail of Tears, and Civil War sites within the park boundaries that shaped the history of our nation.

Take a trip into 12,000 years of history and hear a brief discussion on the Moccasin Bend’s prehistoric inhabitants including what domestic life may have been like in the Missippean and Woodland eras. See the articles excavated by archaeologists from the site’s earliest residents’ homes including ceramics, cooking utensils, and hunting tools. You’ll also hear a little about the Park’s partnership with The Jeffrey L. Brown Institute of Archaeology (JBIA), a research unit affiliated with the Department of Social, Cultural, and Justice Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

The Moccasin Bend National Archeological District’s 956 acres contains multiple layers of complex history including the beginnings of the Browns Ferry Federal Road in 1805 and the dynamic roles that road would play in shaping American history. Originally a part of the slave trade route in the early 1800s, Old Federal Road became a part of the Trail of Tears during the Cherokee removal in 1838, turned briefly into a route of hope for escaped slaves and the underground railroad in 1839, and most recently a road to Union victory in 1863 during the Civil War.

Finally, after your trip back in time, National Park Partners invite you to take a peek at the vision for the future of Moccasin Bend and see the Park’s plans to develop a world-class interpretive center with visitor amenities and access to a proposed new trail system. National Park Partners is the official philanthropic partner to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park inclduing the Moccasin Bend National Archeological District and are proud to produce this virtual experience of Moccasin Bend along with our community partners at the University of Tennessee and the National Park Service. Our mission is to champion the conservation of the natural, historic, and cultural resources of Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, including the Moccasin Bend National Archeological District. We engage current and future generations in preserving and promoting the stories of these national treasures. These are places for remembrance, reflection, and discovering more about what it means to be an American. It is our goal to assist our National Park with rejuvenating hallowed ground and irreplaceable cultural artifacts.