INTERPRETIVE TRAILS

Two interpretive trails are available to provide the visitor with a more detailed view of points of interest regarding the battle.  The upper trail is an easy 8/10 mile loop containing numbered stations corresponding to descriptions in the trail guide that is available for one dollar from either the Park Service office or the museum.  A text-only guide is available free of charge at the entrance to the gazebo. 

The Cheyenne boy Magpie, wounded during the initial charge, ran south in the direction of these mounds.  He killed a soldier along the way (Barnitz?), and escaped on the dead soldier's horse.

 Across this plowed field near the tree line is the approximate site of Black Kettle's village.  The village consisted of 51 lodges, which would suggest 200-300 occupants.  The village is believed to have extended from the line of trees to the left, to the tree line towards the right after the gap.

Station 6 on the upper trail shows a knoll t the south of the village where Custer established his command post after the initial attack.

The lower trail is designed to guide the visitor through the campsite area.  The lower trail is presently closed for prairie restoration.  The land where the lower trail is was planted in an exotic pasture grass not native to this country when it was an active farm.  The national Park service is currently involved in a three-year program to remove this non-native grass and replace it with a mix of Native grasses.