Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site is a must-see attraction along the Santa Fe Trail National Scenic and Historic Byway.
Built in 1833 by William and Charles Bent and their partner, Ceran St. Vrain, the original trading post was a conduit of commerce for people living on the plains of the region. With enough sleeping rooms to house up to 200 people, it quickly became a center for cultural interaction between American settlers, Mexicans and Plains Indians. In fact, the Bent brothers made great strides to maintain good relations with the Arapaho, Kiowa and Cheyenne Indians, who hunted on the land around the fort. And it worked: in 1835, William Bent married Mis-stan-sta or Owl Woman, the daughter of White Thunder, a holy man among the Cheyenne people. Their marriage helped bridge two cultures and maintain peace between them.
The fort was reconstructed in 1976 and is made of adobe, an efficient building material used in the dry climates of the West. Today, you can stroll among the extensive network of rooms and corridors and visualize what life was like in an old trading post. Employees at the fort dress in period clothing and are happily prepared to answer any questions you may have.
Did You Know?
In addition to English, French and Spanish, the fort’s dedicated translators also had to be fluent in Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Comanche, Ute and Lakota. Needless to say, the translators' experience among these tribes—and their ability to absorb their language—proved invaluable to the exchange of goods and services at the fort.
Good to Know Before You Go:
While guided tours are available year-round, the hours vary from season to season. From September through May, tours are held at 10:30 am and 1 pm. In summer, the tour schedule expands to include times at 9:30 am, 11 am, 1 pm and 2:30 pm.
The park is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
While you're at the fort, keep an eye open for a variety of hawk species who perch on phone polls, fence posts and cottonwood trees, and soar on thermals high in the sky.
ADA Accessibility:
While the road from the parking lot to the fort is gravel, the National Park Service offers a shuttle to drive visitors with special needs between the two. Portions of the fort are accessible, as are the restrooms at the visitor center.
35110 Hwy. 194 E., La Junta, CO 81050-9523
www.nps.gov/beol
719-383-5010
This project is partially funded by a State Historical Fund grant award from the Colorado Historical Society.
Colorado's Historic Sites
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updated: 08/29/06