Trails

The Red Shin Hiking Trail

The Red Shin Hiking Trail begins at the stilling basin below the dam and winds through the park to the Santa Fe Historic Site on the North shore of the reservoir. The trail is approximately 4.5 miles and provides excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing!

The Legend of Red Shin

According to local legend, a Cheyenne warrior named Red Shin once lived in the Arkansas Valley sometime around 1833. Compelled by a quarrel with another warrior over an Indian maiden, Red Shin armed himself with two flintlock muskets, a tomahawk, bow and arrows, and butcher knives. He then took refuge atop a tall rock formation located to the north of present-day Lake Hasty Campground. Other warriors joined the dispute and quickly attacked Red Shin from the valley below. Shooting arrows at his attackers with great accuracy, Red Shin convinced the attacking warriors to give up their futile assault or their lives would soon be lost. Ever since, the Dakota Sandstone formation has been called Red Shin Standing Ground.

--- Quoted from US Army Corps of Engineers brochure