The 17 cyclists, 10 Cherokee Nation citizens and seven Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians started in New Echota, Georgia, and biked the 950-mile trail their ancestors were forced to walk through seven states.

This was the 40th time Cherokee bicyclists have made the trip.

Over the course of three weeks, the group pedaled over trails and visited historic monuments marking where over 16,000 Cherokee citizens and other tribal peoples camped and died 185 years ago.

“These cyclists are a testament to the strength and endurance of the Cherokee people,” Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin said at the homecoming ceremony. “They have no doubt formed a bond as they learned about their proud past, glimpsed their ancestors’ darkest days, and discovered their own strengths.”