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Cheyenne Heritage Trail
3 Days - 2 Nights
General Description
A proud Indian heritage, frontier battle sites, rugged cowboys and dramatic scenery shaped the land that once was Cheyenne Indian Territory. This tour takes you where hills climb toward the horizon and dawn and dusk are spectacular events. Here, the red earth and wide blue sky are home to the legends that made the west.
Day 1
The Cheyenne Cultural Center preserves the tribe's history on the ancient red-land wheat fields outside the western town of Clinton. On the grounds, visitors can explore four buildings, each representing a geographic direction important in Cheyenne culture. Traveling and permanent displays tell the heroic and often tragic story of the Cheyenne people, their art and their language. A medicinal plant and herb garden is interpreted on the grounds. Cheyenne artists, such as bead workers, painters, basket makers and dancers, demonstrate their art forms and crafts in the center gazebo. Near the Cultural Center is the 106-year-old Mohawk Trading Post, the first Indian trading post in Oklahoma. Traveling north from Clinton takes travelers to the town of Cheyenne. Here the Washita National Historic Site interprets the grassy area where the Southern Cheyenne village of Peace Chief Black Kettle was attacked by the US Cavalry under Lt. Col. George A. Custer just before dawn November 27, 1868. The battle remains controversial because many people viewed Custer's attack as a massacre. Black Kettle is still honored as a prominent leader who never ceased striving for peace even though it cost him his life. At the Roger Mills County Courthouse in Cheyenne, the Battle of the Washita Sculpture depicts a Cheyenne woman and her child fleeing the soldiers. The Black Kettle Museum displays artifacts from the infamous battle. Not far from Cheyenne, spend the night in a rustic bunkhouse or canvas tipi at Coyote Hills Guest Ranch. Ride horses, dine from the back of a chuck wagon, hike along the miles of trails or watch the sunset from your porch.
Day 2
North of the Black Kettle National Grasslands sit six irregular peaks, known as Antelope Hills, that once marked the international line between the US and Mexico borders. The hills were also once the site of a Cheyenne encampment. Camp Supply was established in western Indian Territory in 1868. Serving as a central supply house to support the military campaign against the Plains Indians, this frontier outpost came into national prominence as the starting point for Custer to lead the 7th Cavalry to the Washita battle site. Planned as a temporary facility, it was thought it would only take a few months to subdue the Indians. The post remained in use for 25 years. Today, five original buildings remain along with a reconstructed fort. The nearby Plains Indians and Pioneers Museum in the town of Woodward displays the dramatic Indian and pioneer heritage of northwest Oklahoma. One of the area's many unusual geographic features, the Gloss Mountains, earned its name from the millions of sparkling selenite crystals covering the surface of the bold buttes. Many Indian encampments once took refuge in these mountains, and the area is reputed to be a former hideout for old west outlaws. Roman Nose State Park, nestled among gypsum-streaked canyons near the town of Watonga, is named for the Cheyenne's last warrior-chief, Henry Roman Nose. At the turn of the century, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes wintered in what is now called Roman Nose Canyon in the park. Explore the miles of hiking and horseback trails or wade in the fresh water springs that bubble up in the park and fill the rock-lined swimming pool. The Stables offer trail rides (some even include dinner cooked on an open fire). Stay overnight in an electricity-equipped tipi, a rustic cabin or in the 47-room Roman Nose Lodge.
Day 3
Fort Reno was established as an Indian Territory military fort in 1875. The cavalry and infantry stationed at Fort Reno played an important role in the transition of the area from Indian Territory status through Oklahoma statehood. US Cavalry units, including the African American Buffalo soldiers, and Cheyenne & Arapaho Indian Scouts, maintained peace on the central plains until the turn of the century and they coordinated the land runs that settled Oklahoma. Today, visitors to Fort Reno can explore exhibits displaying the history of the cavalry outpost dating from 1874 to 1908 and tour a German POW cemetery.
Contact:
Lawrence Hart, (580) 323-6224
