Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

Caution No Winter Maintenance on Battlefield Trail

The battlefield trail is open year round, but receives no winter maintenance. There may be ice or snow on the trail. Please use caution.

Overview

On November 27, 1868, Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer led the 7th US Cavalry on a surprise dawn attack on a Cheyenne village led by Peace Chief Black Kettle. The event was an example of the tragic clash of cultures that occurred during the Great Plains Wars. It is also a place of remembrance and reflection for those who died here. Read More

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

  • Arts and Culture
  • Guided Tours
  • Self-Guided Tours - Walking
  • Hands-On
  • Citizen Science
  • Hiking
  • Front-Country Hiking
  • Living History
  • Reenactments
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Park Film
  • Museum Exhibits
  • Shopping
  • Bookstore and Park Store

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Hours

Overlook and Trail: The overlook and trail of Washita Battlefield National Historic Site are open 30 minutes before sunrise and close 30 minutes after sunset.

Getting there

Washita Battlefield is located just west of Cheyenne in western Oklahoma approximately 130 miles west of Oklahoma City and 140 miles east of Amarillo, Texas; just 25 miles north of I-40 on State Highway 283. From Cheyenne head west on State Highway 47 for about 1 mile and then make a right on State Highway 47A. The visitor center will be on the right and the battlefield is about .5 miles past the visitor center on the right as well.

Visitor centers

Weather

Weather in western Oklahoma can vary considerably. Winters can be mild to severe with ice storms being the biggest concern. Spring is usually short but pleasant although severe weather, including tornadoes, is still a possibility. Usually a strong breeze is associated with spring weather. Summers are brutally hot and visitors should be cautioned about spending any length of time in the heat. Falls are cool with a bitter wind.

Phone: 5804972742

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

The Washita River in winter covered in ice and snow
Washita River · NPS Photo
A Cheyenne Dog Soldier tells stories inside his tipi
Cheyenne Dog Soldier Telling Stories · NPS Photo
The Washita Battlefield National Historic Site Visitor Center on a summer day
The Washita Battlefield National Historic Site Visitor Center · NPS Photo
A Park Ranger knells down among Junior Rangers so only his hat shows within the crowd of children.
Learning Something New at Washita · NPS Photo / Rachael E. Shockley
A Cheyenne Warrior and U.S. Cavalry soldier hold a meeting next to a tipi
"Meeting the Enemy" · NPS Photo

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