Plan A Field Trip

A park ranger speaks to school students in the fort's kitchen.

NPS Photo

Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site

warmly welcomes school groups for a memorable hands-on experience. A trip to this reconstructed early nineteenth century trading post provides an array of interdiscipinary insights. Here, over a dozen tribal nations, Mexican citizens, and Anglo settlers cooperated and competed for the natural resources held within the Borderlands. For sixteen years, trading in buffalo robes tapped into the complex network of international commerce that rapidly increased America’s global reach. At this site, negotiations of language, culture, rights, and values expressed themselves in direct one-on-one conversations all while the political impetus toward Westward expansion proved unstoppable. Examining Bent's Old Fort opens inquiry into ideas of fairness and sociopolitical neutrality. It engages the reality that fair exchange extends beyond concrete goods and services to ecological stewardship, cultural respect, and national sovereignty.

To arrange a visit, all schools should access the field trip reservation request form below.

Extra Information:

• The Western National Parks Association's bookstore located on fort grounds sells videos, maps, souvenirs, and books related to this intriguing time in history.
• Fourth grade students are eligible for the Every Kid Outdoors Pass which allows free entrance into any national park unit in the United States for one year.

Guided Trail Maps:

Take a walk through our trails as part of your field trip experience. Choose one of these guides to provide ecological and historical context at several stops through our unique Southern Plains setting.

Buffalo Loop Trail Guide

El Rio Nepeste Trail Guide

Cottonwood Cutoff Trail Guide

 

Request a field trip

• All school groups should fill out the reservation request below at least three weeks in advance.

NPS Form 10-1750 (Rev. 04/2021)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0228
Expiration Date 11/30/2025

Learning Accommodations

Does anyone in your group need any accommodations?

Yes No

If yes, describe the accommodation need.

Next Step

School / Organization Contact Information

School / Organization Name (required)

Name of Requester/Contact Person (required)

Title / Position (required)

Contact Email Address (required)

Contact Phone Number (required)
123-456-7890 extension if any

Contact Mailing Address Country

I have a US mailing address

I have a mailing address outside the US

International Mailing Address (required)
Please include building number and street, city, state/province country and Postal Code

Mailing Address (required)

City (required)

State (required)

Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas Armed Forces - Americas Armed Forces - Europe Armed Forces - Pacific California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

ZIP (required)
Five digit ZIP code [99999]

Next Step

Group Details - Park Visit/ Field Trip

Name of Primary Contact Visiting if Different Than Above (optional)

Title / Position of Primary Contact if Different Than Above (optional)

Email Address of Primary Contact if Different Than Above (optional)

Phone Number of Primary Contact if Different Than Above (optional)
Format: 123-456-7890

Program Name or Subject Requested/Self-Guided

Grade Level(s) of Students (required)

Number of Staff / Chaperones (required)

Number of Students (required)

Preferred Date of Visit (required)
format mmddyyyy

My preferred date has been confirmed by the park (required)

Yes No

Preferred Program Start Time (required)

Alternative Date(s) (required)
Enter one or more dates .

Anticipated Arrival Time (required)

Anticipated Departure Time (required)

Mode of Transportation (required)

Disclaimer:

A park representative will follow-up to confirm group details once this request has been received and reviewed.

Submit my Education Reservation Request

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NPS Form 10-1750 (Rev. 04/2021)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0228
Expiration Date 11/31/2025

Notices

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: Public Law 114-289 National Park Service Centennial Act and 54 U.S.C. 100701 Protection, interpretation, and research in System.

Purpose: To administer education programs for education audiences including but not limited to school groups, scouting groups, extracurricular groups, and home school groups.

Routine Uses: To effectively manage requests for education received by the NPS, the Education Reservation Request Form is used to collect basic education reservation information to facilitate operational aspects of scheduling groups for park education programs, including in-park education programs, ranger in classroom programs, and/or online distance learning programs.

Disclosure: Voluntary, however, failure to provide the requested information may impede the ability to grant your education reservation request.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement

We are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) to provide park managers and educators the information needed to schedule and conduct education program activities. All applicable parts of the form must be completed in order for your request to be considered. You are not required to respond to this or any other Federal agency-sponsored information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. OMB has approved this collection of information and assigned control number 1024-0288.

Estimated Burden Statement

Public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Do not send your completed form to this address.