July 4th Events at Sand Creek Massacre NHS

33-Star American Flag, white flag, and lodgepoles at Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site.
Photo Courtesy of the National Park Service.

A hundred and fifty years ago, a conflict between settlers and the Cheyenne and Arapaho impacted the peoples of Colorado. This war, the peace initiative to end it, and the subsequent massacre at Sand Creek of about 200 people all impacted Indian Policy, Plains warfare, and the future of the United States. Today, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site memorializes and commemorates cultural and natural resources for current and future generations.

Join park staff on Independence Day as they lead two events. At 10 am, rangers will lead a guided tour of the site, followed by a 2pm program on the Memorial Hill where interpreters will speak to the events of November 29, 1864.

Entrance to the park is free and gates open at 9am. The visitor contact station offers water and restroom facilities. The park bookstore is open concurrently with the site and offers over fifty titles to interested visitors. Reservations are encouraged, but not required. Please make reservations by calling 719-729-3003.

Visitors should expect to walk at least one mile over sandy and uneven terrain on the tour. Participants should dress appropriately for weather conditions and wear comfortable walking shoes. Long pants and sleeves are recommended. Inclement weather on the day of the event may result in program cancellation; visitors with reservations will be notified.

The Sand Creek Massacre is located in Kiowa County, Colorado. To visit the site, follow Colorado State Highway 96 east off Highway 287 near Eads, or west off Highway 385 at Sheridan Lake. Near Chivington, turn north onto County Road 54/Chief White Antelope Way or at Brandon, turn north onto County Road 59. Follow these roads to their intersections with County Road W. The park entrance is along CR W a mile east (right) of CR 54 or several miles west (left) of CR 59.

Caution Large Vehicles and Motorcyclists: Eight miles of dirt/sand roads lead to the site.

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Eric Sainio, Park Guide
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
National Park Service
P.O. Box 249
Eads, CO 81036
(719) 729-3003 ext. 223

“National parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.”
-Wallace Stegner