Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site

National Historic Site · CO · nps.gov page

Four white Indian lodges on a grassy plain.
Cheyenne and Arapaho Lodges erected in commemoration of the 150th Year of the Sand Creek MassacrePhoto: NPS Photo/Shawn G. Gillette

On November 29th, 1864, Chiefs Black Kettle, White Antelope, Left Hand and others were encamped with around 750 Arapaho and Cheyenne people in a valley by the Big Sandy Creek. A hope for peace, brought forth by Black Kettle was in the balance. It was a tragic day where the blood of the Cheyenne and Arapaho was shed, and a painful memory for generations of Native Americans was made.

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Photos

A lone tipi frame and two wayside signs stand in a snow-covered landscape
A tipi frame is backlit by an evening sky.Photo: NPS Photo/Shawn G. Gillette
The uppermost branches of leafless trees in a grassy plain are lit by the setting sun.
The setting sun highlights trees along Sand Creek, forming a hauntingly beautiful landscapePhoto: NPS Photo/Jeff Campbell
An expanse of winter prairie with brown grasses, leafless trees, and low clouds above.
Winter on the Southeastern Colorado Plains can produce beautiful scenes such as this.Photo: NPS Photo/Jeff Campbell
A wayside in the snow-covered foreground with a winter plain stretching behind.
This tranquil winter view shows snow throughout the Sand Creek Valley.Photo: NPS Photo/Shawn G. Gillette
A lone tipi stands on a prairie landscape in predawn light.
Tipi at dawnPhoto: NPS Photo
The cloud mass of a summer thunderstorm looms in the distance beyond the park entrance sign
Photo: NPS/T. Jobe
A park ranger points in the distance as two visitors stand before an outdoor exhibit panel.
Park ranger and visitors on the bluff trailPhoto: NPS Photo

Park information and photos come from the National Park Service. This is not an official NPS site.