Traveling through Nebraska, one often comes across remnants of the United States' rich Native American heritage, particularly the various trails that crisscross the region. Among these trails are the Cherokee Trails of the Great Plains, a network of routes that extend from the southeastern United States to present-day California and Oregon. Established in the early 19th century, these trails played a vital role in the westward expansion of the United States and provide valuable insights into the lives of the Cherokee people.

The Cherokee Trails of the Great Plains were formed in response to the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which forcibly relocated the Cherokee Nation from their ancestral lands in Georgia to the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). The trails allowed for the transfer of supplies, communication, and trade along the remote frontier. This route network can be divided into three primary branches: the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, and the California Trail.

The Oregon Trail, also known as the Emigrant Trail, passes through present-day Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Notable features of this branch include the Fort Kearny State Recreation Area in Kearney, Nebraska, a river crossing for fur traders and early travelers, and the Scott's Bluff National Monument in western Nebraska, a key navigational landmark for pioneers. This branch connected the Oregon Trail to the Grand Ronde and Cherokee Agency Trail, which funneled settlers towards present-day Portland, Oregon.

The Santa Fe Trail, originating from Independence, Missouri, traverses present-day Kansas and southeastern Colorado, eventually splitting off towards Taos, New Mexico, and Santa Fe. As part of the Great Plains route, the Cherokee traded on the Santa Fe Trail. When one travels on this trail, he or she comes across cultural and archaeological remnants like the ancient earthlodge at Monument Rocks, a series of majestic rock formations in Gove County, Kansas. Archaeologists have documented instances of the Cherokee people visiting or even staying in this region.

As for the California Trail, it starts in Independence, Missouri, as well, paralleling much of the Oregon Trail through present-day Kansas and Nebraska before diverging towards present-day Idaho and the Sacramento Valley in California. Crossing present-day Keya Paha County in northern Nebraska, not far from Naper, are tracts of Cherokee Flat Preserve, as well as the Oglala National Grassland.

While delving into historical texts, sources often acknowledge the confluence of the trances of Native American routes across the Great Plains – and all manner of journeys including numerous passages of bands of tribes within their shared lands across many centuries. Similar to this article was based on the historical data related to north American history related in the relevant area.