Alerts & Conditions

Alerts

Operations Update - September 2024

Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site remains committed to preserving Bent’s Old Fort and the story of its significance in America’s history. The park is implementing necessary changes for the safety and well-being of our visitors, staff, and animals at the Fort. We are committed to engaging with park staff, volunteers, and stakeholders to make transitions as smooth as possible. We appreciate your patience as we work hard to address these concerns and create new connections to this incredible place.

Program Schedule

Please see our Calendar for more information about scheduled tours and programs at the fort. “Stories from the Borderlands” programs will be offered monthly throughout the remainder of 2024. Each program will last 45 minutes and explore a different facet of the Fort’s story. Living history will continue to be one method among many of presenting the history of the Fort to the visiting public.

Second Level Restrictions

In November 2023, the second story of the Fort closed to the public due to safety issues. The entirety of the ground floor including the plaza, rooms, corrals, and park store remain open and available to visitors. The grounds of the park are also open and unaffected. The park is working to mitigate the life safety and structural issues and restore access to the closed areas.

Livestock

While having livestock on site can enhance the visitor experience, a 2006 Interpretive Plan observed that the animals were “too numerous for the existing staff to care for and use properly.” Seventeen years later, a 2023 Staffing and Operations Evaluation repeated these concerns with the park’s capacity to care for livestock properly. To ensure staff safety and animal welfare, Bent’s Old Fort is reducing the inventory of livestock and other animals kept at the fort to a manageable number.

 

Loading weather forecast...

 
An open plaza of an adobe structure
Plan Your Visit

Things to know to when planning your visit to Bent's Old Fort.

Young men play a card game with an older man dressed in historic costume.
Park Calendar

Discover the programs happening at Bent's Old Fort.

Fires light up the plaza at Bent's Old fort
Things To Do

Enhance your Bent's Old Fort experience by participating in a guided tour of the fort or other activity.

COtrip graphic header with logo
Road and weather conditions

Visit the new mobile-friendly COtrip website, which can be viewed from any web-enabled device by visiting cotrip.org.

Last updated: September 6, 2024

Park footer

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

35110 State Highway 194
La Junta, CO 81050

Phone:

719 383-5010
Staff are available Monday through Friday to take your call from 9:00 a. m. - 3:30 p. m. Mountain Time. If no one is available to take your call, please leave a message, and someone will return your call as soon as possible.

Contact Us

Tools