Black Kettle National Grassland

Daralyn Loveless

So much history!! I remember going to a reenactment in the 60's!!! It's still etched in my memories.

Josh Karum

Love this place! Opening weekends are usually busy but you can usually still get on units by yourself if you are willing to look. We were there opening weekend of spring turkey and were able to successfully harvest a bird so its great for me! There are plenty of campsites but be aware they are mostly primitive with no facilities.

Rito Reagan

This Black Kettle National Grassland was home to the Comanche and other nomadic Indian tribes who camped and hunted in the area, attracted by abundant water and wood and buffalo herds. In 1868 Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer led an attack on a Cheyenne village here in what was called the Battle of the Washita. The Grassland is named for Black Kettle, the Indian leader killed in that attack. The area became part of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian reservation in 1867 and was opened to White settlement in 1892. Farmers enjoyed many years of good crops, especially wheat until the Dust Bowlyears of the 1930s. "Poor conservation and agricultural practices, combined with periods of wind, drought, and rain stripped the area of its topsoil" and the government bought the land from bankrupt farmers. In 1938, the Soil Conservation Service began a replanting and restoration effort and in 1960 it was designated a national grassland. Today, the grassland is used for recreation, oil and gas production, and cattle grazing.

Sue Ellis

It was VERY hot the morning we drove out and getting hotter by the minute. The hike was an unexpected event so we were unprepared with proper shoes and water. Otherwise, we would have taken twice the time. It was extremely informative with a brief movie at the visitor center and audio presentations on your cellphone at each location along the hike through the battlefield. This photo was after the hike so the grandsons were melting (they're from Michigan so...), but they learned a lot about the cost to the American Indians from the westward push across the country. To the Indians, this is hallowed ground, and if you go you will understand why.