Learn About the Park

Visitors interact with costumed volunteers in the traderoom

NPS photo

The Story Behind Bent's Fort

Congress designated Bent's Old Fort a unit of the National Park System in 1960 to tell the story of how the fort helped develop the west in the mid-1800s. The Fort is located on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail, a trail of international commerce. Trade brought many cultures together. Relationships developed and lives were forever changed in the aftermath of the US-Mexican War.

 

Photos & Multimedia

The reconstructed fort with all its furnished rooms provides an unique setting to recreate or explore scenes of the past.

Become a Junior Ranger

Visit the park, experience the fort using the booklet, complete the pages for your age group and receive a Junior Ranger Badge.

Western National Parks Association Store

Complete your visit by checking out the Western National Parks Association Store in the visitor information center.

Nature & Science

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site is located in the high plains along the Arkansas River in southeastern Colorado.

History & Culture

Explore the confluence of commerce, culture, and cooperation at a borderlands crossroads.

Management

Learn more about how the park and its resources are managed.