Camp 21 is the location of General George Armstrong Custer’s 21st Campsite of 1876. The campsite is located on the Yellowstone Jewel. Directions.
An excerpt from the book – Following the Custer Trail of 1876, by L.J. Chorne
Yellow Rock River (Sioux), Elk River (Crow), Roche Juane (French), Yellow Stone (Lewis & Clark) or simply Yellowstone River – all are names of the largest tributary of the Missouri River.
The Yellowstone River was an important artery of transportation for Native Americans. In the 19th century, the river was plied by the river boats of the European-American settlers. The Camp 21 area is a traditional summer hunting ground for a number of Native American tribes, including the Lakota Sioux, the Crow, the Northern Cheyenne and the Cree. On June 15,1876 General Custer made his 21st camp in this area, a mere 10 days prior to the Battle of the Little Bighorn. One of Custer’s Indian scouts, Young Hawk, recalled: We marched up on a hill overlooking the Elk River and then down to the mouth of the Tongue.