Wind River Indian Reservation
Two Tribes, Two Trails
Two tribes with vastly different backgrounds share Wyoming's spectacular Wind River Indian Reservation. The Shoshone people historically occupied the Rocky Mountains in what is now Wyoming, Utah and Idaho. The Northern Arapaho were of the Great Plains tribe living in northeastern Colorado. Historic enemies, these two tribes now live side-by-side, sharing a 2.2 million acre reservation today. Visitors can experience these cultures by touring local cultural centers, museums and missions, visiting Sacajawea's grave and the Hot Springs, and attending pow-wows and other cultural events.
Two trails commemorate the travel and trade routes of these proud tribes. The Chief Washakie Trail, following US-287 from Rawlins to Fort Washakie remembers the great Shoshone chief. The Sand Creek Massacre Trail connects the Arapaho Tribe with the site of the tragic 1864 attack by U.S. soldiers on a peaceful Arapaho village in Colorado.
Click on the historic trails map above to enlarge.
Two tribes with vastly different backgrounds share Wyoming's spectacular Wind River Indian Reservation. The Shoshone people historically occupied the Rocky Mountains in what is now Wyoming, Utah and Idaho. The Northern Arapaho were of the Great Plains tribe living in northeastern Colorado. Historic enemies, these two tribes now live side-by-side, sharing a 2.2 million acre reservation today. Visitors can experience these cultures by touring local cultural centers, museums and missions, visiting Sacajawea's grave and the Hot Springs, and attending pow-wows and other cultural events.