Little Bighorn Battlefield Ride & Guide:
Get the very best experience from your day at the Battle of the Greasy Grass
Your morning horseback ride
Your historic opportunity to experience the terrain of the Little Bighorn as the warriors and troopers saw it on that legendary June day begins at 8am
Over a three hour ride duration, you will follow the Crow scouts and Custer’s 7th to Medicine Tail Coulee, and then re-trace Crazy Horse’s route from the village to Calhoun Hill, stopping at each significant site within the story of the engagement. Follow Crazy Horse and Custer, White Bull and White-Man-Runs-Him, across the hallowed ground between the National Park Service boundaries at the Reno-Benteen Battlefield and Calhoun Hill. Experience Weir Point on the ride from Cedar Coulee into Medicine Tail Coulee, before descending to the Little Bighorn River, which you will cross at the ford. Then ride through the Oglala and Cheyenne village area, and then re-cross the Little Bighorn, tracing Crazy Horse’s movements as he led his men up Deep Coulee towards Calhoun Hill.
When you have finished your ride approx 11am, you will make your way to a local trading post cafe where you can try buffalo burgers, Indian Tacos and other western fayre for lunch. Meet your indigenous historian at 12 noon and your guided day begins.
Your afternoon guide
Your guding begins at the Indian village site along the Little Bighorn River. Then standing where Crazy Horse crossed the Little Bighorn River to meet Custer’s 7th, follow the battle as it unfolded, learning not only of those who fought for their respective nations, but the lasting results of the battle into modern day times for the Lakota and Cheyenne peoples.
You will visit Weir Point, Medicine Tail Coulee, the Cheyenne Village – following the footsteps of legendary figures such as Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Gall and many others at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Custer was one of many men who died at the Little Bighorn, fighting in the name and cause of their respective nations: All five companies with Custer were annihilated, and with associated 7th Cavalry casualties, the total fallen rose to 263; the Cheyenne lost 14 men on the field, including the great Lame White Man, and the Lakota lost closer to double that. But why did Custer lose? You will find out how it was that on June 25, 1876 the 7th Cavalry were simply out-thought
and out-fought.
Why are Go Native America tours at the Little Bighorn different?
When we claim to offer the best tours at the Little Bighorn, we don't say so lightly. We want our visitors to learn the truth of the events leading to this cataclysmic event on the plains. And remember, although the battle of the day was won, the reverberations of the war still continue to this very day around many Plains Nations.
Of course you will have a great time on your tour, but our guide's responsibility is not just to you. Go Native America guides relate this story for the ancestors, as though the battle participants are standing with you, listening. And their goal is to be sure the story (which cost so many lives) is told in a way that would make those participants nod, and agree that the truth is being told of their actions, deeds and sacrifices.
To other tour companies, the mission is simply to have a guides learn enough basic information to entertain visitors, load as many mini buses from Billings as they can, and make money. To us, this is the difference.
Information for your ride
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Rides are 3 hours long and start at 8am (avoiding the mid-day heat) for $135 per person.
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Please wear shoes/boots with heels and remember absolutely no flip-flops, sandals or training shoes
. . . no exceptions for any reason. You should wear sunscreen, sunglasses and hat for your own comfort, and bring water, and of course a camera, but also consider your most comfortable way to carry these items (messing with a backpack on horseback is not often convenient!) -
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If anyone in your party is 240 lbs or more, please let us know ahead of time. This is not a hard and fast weight restriction, but we do need to be sure the right horses are available for everyone.
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You don’t need to be an experienced rider to enjoy a horseback experience on the Little Bighorn. Crow wranglers at the Little Bighorn are among the best horsemen in the west - they will look after you and be sure you have a great experience, but please remember the wrangler’s word is law and you must adhere to any and all instructions. Failure to do so could result in IMMEDIATE termination of your ride.
Where: Little Bighorn, Crow Agency, MT
Meeting Place: Directions to the horseback ride will be sent to you after your booking is made
Tribes: Lakota, Cheyenne, Crow
Activity level: Horseback riding for 3 hours and some walking
Duration: 8am-6pm
Cost: $550 for the guiding session PLUS $135 per rider.
Upon booking you will pay for your guiding session ($550) and also a $45 deposit per rider.
The balance per rider ($90) must be paid in cash on the day direct to the wranglers.
They have no credit card facility, and do not accept checks.
Example: For one person you pay $550 plus $45 riding deposit. Then $90 in cash on the day
For four people you would pay $550 plus 4x $45 deposits ($180) Then $90 per rider in cash on the day
NOTES:
Apsaalooke tours are great if you want a quick bus ride around the battlefield for a Battle of Little Bighorn summary. But if you want more from your day at the Custer Battlefield NPS site, call us on 307 699 6015. We have been running the very best Little Bighorn tours for 25 years, and we are happy to offer advice about Little Bighorn Battlefield Lodging; Little Bighorn Battlefield Hours; Little Big Horn National Park Camping; Little Bighorn Battlefield Entrance Fees and even the Little Bighorn National Monument Gift Shop (and other great Little Bighorn souvenir options in the area.
The Little Bighorn Battlefield, Montana is possibly the only battlefield site in the US where the monument is dedicated to the losing side. Our tours redress the balance that is so sadly lacking in the official interpretation at the Little Bighorn site. There were never 10,000 warriors at the Little Bighorn, there were never ‘Indians circling the wagons’ like in the Hollywood movies, and although who won the Battle of Little Bighorn is well-known, the Battle of Little Bighorn significance is not.
Come with us and find out the true answers to the searing questions visitors have; what caused the Battle of Little Bighorn, who killed Custer; and how did Custer really die at the Little Bighorn. Perhaps most important… how the ramifications of the fight STILL affect tribal people across the Northern Plains even today?
RIDE the Little Bighorn? Let's go!
