In the parking lot a historical marker tells the story of nearby ruts formed by freight wagons on the Santa Fe Trail. This section of the trail includes 12 intact swales (ruts). They are widely known as Charlie's Ruts or Bentrup's Ruts for Charles Bentrup, the landowner who preserved them. Visitors are welcome to walk through the gate to stand in the actual ruts and visualize what it must have been like for travelers on this trail from 1821 to 1872. The site is now owned by the Kearny County Historical Society. (NRHP)