W. J. Ghent's The Road to Oregon (1929) has a map on page 9 showing the many trails and their branches. From Bent's Fort on up the Arkansas toward Leadville, it shows the trail to be a continuation of "The Cherokee Trail." This trail started out at Fort Smith, Arkansas, dropped down into Oklahoma (to which the Cherokee were exiled at the time of the "Trail of Tears"), joined the Santa Fe at what looks to be near Dodge City, Kansas, maybe (no towns on the map), stuck with the Santa Fe as far as Bent's Fort, then swung off to the northwest, following the river to the mountains. On the other hand, I think the Cherokee Trail turned north at Pueblo (or thereabouts) and followed the eastern edge of the mountains to the point where it joined the Oregon Trail in southern Wyoming. At that point, it turned abruptly west and stuck with the Oregon Trail toward Fort Bridger. In that case, I'm afraid it didn't penetrate the mountains deeply enough to reach Leadville. So, only the stretch from Bent's Fort to Pueblo could be considered part of the Cherokee Trail.

Sandy