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

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site

National Historic Site · Colorado · National Park Service

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.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Phone
7194385916
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Highlights: Military · US Army · Indigenous and Native Warrior · Native American Heritage · Social Movements · Tragic Events · Massacres · Wars and Conflicts · Indian and Frontier Wars · Civil War · Westward Expansion · The Gold Rush · Grasslands · Prairies

Activities & features: Guided Tours · Hiking · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store

Photos

  • A lone tipi frame and two wayside signs stand in a snow-covered landscape
    NPS Photo/Shawn G. Gillette
  • The uppermost branches of leafless trees in a grassy plain are lit by the setting sun.
    NPS Photo/Jeff Campbell
  • An expanse of winter prairie with brown grasses, leafless trees, and low clouds above.
    NPS Photo/Jeff Campbell
  • A wayside in the snow-covered foreground with a winter plain stretching behind.
    NPS Photo/Shawn G. Gillette
  • A lone tipi stands on a prairie landscape in predawn light.
    NPS Photo
  • The cloud mass of a summer thunderstorm looms in the distance beyond the park entrance sign
    NPS/T. Jobe
  • A park ranger points in the distance as two visitors stand before an outdoor exhibit panel.
    NPS Photo

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54 parks mapped in Colorado

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Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12