Bent's New Fort and Fort Wise/Lyon

Bent's New Fort was a historic fort and trading post along the banks of the Arkansas River on the Mountain Route branch of the Santa Fe Trail. William Bent operated a trading post with limited success at the site and in 1860 leased the fort to the United States government, which operated it as a military outpost until 1867. The site is privately owned today, and little remains of the building that once stood there.

Bluff Trail Junction

Junction between the Monument Hill Trail and the Bluff Trail at Sand Creek Massacre NHS

• A large white boulder about 2.5 feet tall and 4 feet long sits in the middle of the "T" shaped intersection of two gravel pathways. The path on the right leads uphill and the path on the left leads slightly downward.

Monument Hill Parking Area Connection

The short trail connection that links the Monument Hill Trail to the Monument Hill parking area at Sand Creek Massacre NHS

• A gravel trail splits into two directions. One trail continues uphill to the right. The other trail goes left through a 3-foot gap between two sections of wooden rail fence and leads to a restroom structure and parking area.

Monument Hill Trailhead

Wayside exhibit at the Monument Hill Trailhead

• A wayside stands in front of open prairie land. A line of trees can be seen in the far background.

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site recognizes the national significance of the massacre in American history, and its ongoing significance to the Cheyenne and Arapaho people and massacre descendants.

Wayside: A Chief's Village

Wayside exhibit: Cheyenne and Arapaho Chiefs at Sand Creek - Monument Hill

• The west side of the hill overlooking the Big Sandy Creek. A bluff line extends further towards the west. Below the bluffs to the north is a valley with a line of trees marking the course of the Big Sandy Creek.

Wayside: Cheyenne and Arapaho Village at Sand Creek

Wayside exhibit: the village at Sand Creek - Monument Hill

• The west side of the hill overlooking the Big Sandy Creek. A bluff line extends further towards the west. Below the bluffs to the north is a valley with a line of trees marking the course of the Big Sandy Creek.

Wayside: Conscience and Courage

Wayside exhibit: Soule, Cramer, and Wynkoop - near visitor contact station

• A space shaded by several cottonwood trees, surrounded by open prairie. A little over half a mile to the north is a line of trees marking the bed of the Big Sandy Creek.

Wayside: Fort Lyon Reservation

Wayside exhibit: the Fort Lyon Reservation and worsening conditions - halfway along Monument Hill Trail

• A wayside halfway up the Monument Hill Trail, surrounded by open prairie. Another sign to the left shares the same stone base as this sign. There is a bench to the left of the stone sign base. A quarter mile to the north is a line of trees marking the bed of the Big Sandy Creek.

Wayside: Sacred Memory

Wayside exhibit: remembering difficult event sin history - Monument Hill

• The north-west side of the hill overlooking the Big Sandy Creek. Below the hill to the north is an open valley with a line of trees marking the course of the Big Sandy Creek.

Wayside: Sand Creek as a Camp Site

Wayside exhibit: Sand Creek as a camp site - halfway along the Monument Hill Trail

• A wayside halfway up the Monument Hill Trail, surrounded by open prairie. Another sign to the right shares the same stone base as this sign. There is a bench to the left of the stone sign base. A quarter mile to the north is a line of trees marking the bed of the Big Sandy Creek.

Wayside: Why a 33 Star Flag

Wayside exhibit: Chief Black Kettle and the 33-star flag - near visitor contact station.

• An interpretive sign near the visitor contact station. In the background, on the right, is a flagpole that flies a 33-star flag. To the left of the flagpole is an area with several cottonwood trees and picnic tables.

Visitor Contact Station

• Visitor Contact Station
• The Contact Station is located at the historic site, which is eight miles north of the town of Chivington. It provides education and orientation materials and has a sales outlet for educational merchandise. The Contact Station maintains the same hours as the park. NOTE: Bookstore sales end at 3:30 pm.

• Sand Creek Ranger Talk
• The Sand Creek ranger talk delves into the events of the mid 1800's and describes some of the social, economic, and political factors that contributed to the Sand Creek Massacre. NOTE: This is a stationary talk, not a walking tour.

Monument Hill Trail

The Monument Hill trail is an easy to moderate out-and-back trail, approximately 1-mile round trip. Most hikers complete the trail in 30-60 minutes. At the top of Monument Hill, the valley where the Cheyenne and Arapaho were camped in November of 1864 can be easily seen.