Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site • Colorado

A group of visitors stand around a large wooden apparatus in a plaza courtyard.

Bent's Old Fort with shortgrass prairie in foreground and blue sky and clouds above

Wooden boxes and buffalo furs are scattered around a plaza inside an adobe fortification.

Bent's Old Fort with shortgrass prairie, tepee and wagon in foreground and blue sky & clouds above

bundles of glass trade beads tied together hang from a wooden rafter

An adobe fort with lights under a starry sky

A Conestoga wagon and a solar race car stand on a road with a large adobe fort in the background

Bent's Old Fort in background with wagon in front; fall yellow cottonwood leaves in foreground

A row of saddles are arrayed along a wooden beam near an adobe building

Two animals are tied to a wooden frame in the interior of a large adobe structure.

A wooden counter is in the foreground of a trade room, with sales items on display in the background

In the 1840s the Arkansas River was the border between territory claimed by the United States and Mexico. Located along the river, Bent's Fort was an adobe trading post on the Santa Fe Trail, where traders, trappers, travelers, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes came together in peaceful terms for trade. Today, a reconstructed fort allows visitors to explore the front line of Westward Expansion.

A nighttime view of the adobe fort with lanterns visible

Current Conditions

Alerts, operations updates, and other information about what facilities and services will be available during your visit.

A safety fence surrounds a large, reconstructed fort.

Status of the Reconstructed Fort

The park is open; the reconstructed fort is open for plaza access on a scheduled basis. Learn more about the 1976 reconstruction.

Family with two young children walks through fort entrance doors

Things to Do

Tour the grounds, plaza, and trails surrounding Bent's Old Fort to shadow the steps of those who accessed this spot nearly 200 years ago.

The Business of Bison

Bent’s Fort was built first and foremost for the growing bison robe trade. This trade would transform the southern plains.

Men unload a wagon pulled by oxen in front of an adobe fort

Trade Starts With A Secure Fort

Learn more about this multi-cultural and multilingual trading post on the western borderlands.

Last updated: June 8, 2026

Opportunities To Engage The Past

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

35110 State Highway 194
La Junta, CO 81050

Phone:

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

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