Anyone here from Northern Colorado or Cheyenne?

[Gilly]

Hey, I'm trying to remember the details on an area I visited (just stopped at briefly) on a cycle trip in 1988. I thought it was just a rest area between Denver and Cheyenne, I think an Interstate, I 25? Really close to the CO/WY border, could have been on either side (of the border), and it was on the north-bound side. It was a geologic formation, sort of a bowl shape, like a natural fort, a small rock mountain with a bowl in the middle, I guess you could think of it as looking like the very top of a volcano. It had a marker saying something about how either a Indian Massacre or an Indian battle (natave vs native American) took place there, great loss of life. Was really spooky, I was there right around sunset, and was thinking on pitching a tent, until I read that marker. No other place has affected me like that since, especially just some place out along a highway like that.
ps I don't believe it was the site of the Sand River Massacre, I'm sure it was way further north than that, but can't find it on the web, I even went "up" I25 on google earth. I can't believe it could have just been developed over....
Gilly

[Mistress]

no.

[John Doe]

Gilly, there is a member here named PXland that hasn't been around lately that I believe is from that area--may want to pm him.

[kerry]

Although I have never stopped there, there is a rock formation on the east side of I-25 just south of the Wyoming border that seems to fit your description. I do not know its name and I haven't heard of an Indian battle there, but there were lots on the plains so its possible. Sand Creek has no distinctive rock formations in its vicinity and is way down in the SE corner of the state.
The other very distinctive rock formation that you might have in mind is Vidauwoo which is on I-80 about 30 miles west of Cheyenne. There is a box canyon feature in that formation. If you google it, you can find websites and pictures. Vidauwoo is one of my favorite places to camp since the rocks are so spectacular.

[Gilly]

Thanks Mistress, keep those cards 'n letters coming folks!
KE, yeah, East side of I believe it was I25 sounds right, IIRC we were heading towards Cheyenne, can't remember if it was N or S of the state line. Another clue is there seemed to be quite alot of evidence pointing towards it being a party place, one would assume for younger adults (mostly beer cans strewn about in the "pit" inside the rock formation. I'll do a bit more research too. When I was researching Indian massacres and so forth, I did run across the name of tribal chief named "Black Kettle", which sort of rings a bell from the plaque that was there, so maybe I'll research him a bit.
The partying evidence makes me wonder if it was dropped as a roadside rest area, but I do remember we just wheeled on in off the road and there was a parking area.
Gilly

[A264172]

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=41.082133,-104.852647&spn=0.003825,0.007231&t=h&om=1
Look anything like this?

[Gilly]

Looks like this MIGHT be the place, I am new to this, here are the coordinates:
Lat: 40°57'11.93"N
Lon: 104°55'24.46"W
It's further south than what you posted, A264172.
It was awhile ago, as I mentioned I think it was 1988, so I'm sure things have changed. It looks like you need to be on what Google refers to as the I25 access road. If you follow this access road around, it looks like it is newer than some of the roads in intersects. You can sort of see evidence that at one time it may have been accessable from off the Interstate. There are other examples in this area of the same type of geoligical formations, one big one right on the other side of the road, and also one just north of the one I think it might be. I may be on to something in regards to the story as well.
Gilly

[Gilly]

Found it, thanks everyone:
http://www.wallpaperdave.com/fort.htm

Gilly

[92497pmu]

looks like a pretty cool place..

[Gilly]

Since I had this kinda stuck in my mind, I did more research, here is a email I got from the Fort Collins Public Library (ask-a-librarian feature):

Dear Mr. Gillitzer,
The "Natural Fort" near Carr Colorado is in Weld County, Colorado. Even
though this is Larimer County, our local historian had a clipping about
the Natural Fort written by a local history writer, Arlene Ahlbrandt,
that appeared in the Fort Collins Triangle Review, November 7th, 1979.
Here is what the historical marker says:
"One day, a group of around 600 Crow hunters led by Jim Beckwourth,
their mulatto chief, surprised a group of around 160 Blackfoot hunters
and chased them into these rocks. A bloody battle ensued in which the
Crows killed the Blackfeet one by one. Old Jim modestly admitted he
killed nor more than 11 Blackfeet, an understatement for him."
I hope that this helps.
Sue-Ellen
Reference Librarian

Thank you for using reference email.

Fort Collins Public Library
201 Peterson
Fort Collins, CO 80526
970-221-6380
fcgov.com/library