Clingmans Dome is a sacred mountain to the Cherokees, where the Magic Lake was once seen. The Great Spirit told the Cherokees that if they love him, love all their brothers and sisters, and love the animals of the earth, then when they grow old and sick they can come to the Magic Lake and be made well again. For Cherokees, these mountains have been a refuge, homeland, and a mythical and spiritual foundation for their people. During the Indian Removal Period of the 1800s known as the Trail of Tears, the mountains meant safety from pursuing soldiers. Today these slopes provide refuge and inspiration for visitors from a hectic modern society, echoing John Muir's 1898 reflection that going to the mountains is going home.