Getting ready forBent's Old Fort National Historic Site.
A rebuilt adobe fort on the plains, 8 miles east of La Junta, at the end of a quarter-mile paved path. Visitors can usually go into the fort's central plaza five days a week, and the restrooms are at the parking lot, not in the fort.
Know before you go. The park doesn't list sensory supports. Here's what it does say about the walk, the weather and the fort.
Hours
Park grounds: 9 am to 4 pm every day. The reconstructed fort's plaza: 9 am to 4 pm Thursday to Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday; the plaza schedule varies seasonally, so check the park's event calendar. Information center: 9 am to 4 pm every day, closed 11:30 to noon for lunch. Closed New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington's Birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
35110 State Highway 194, La Junta, CO 81050 (8 miles east of La Junta)
Stay close“Safety for hikers is assured by avoiding the Arkansas River edge as the bank may be undercut and could collapse.”
“Summer temperatures are often in the high 90s and low 100s.” “Most of the fort is unheated and does not have modern cooling systems, so dress accordingly.”
“The southern plains is often very windy.”
“The ground substrate of the fort interior and perimeter is loose sand increasing the effort required for wheelchair mobility.”
“Smoke from wood fires is often present in the reconstructed fort.”
“As this stretch has no cover, please bring water, sunscreen, and a hat during warm weather.” nps.gov
“All water activities including swimming are not allowed on the historic site grounds.”
Use the restrooms at the lot, walk the paved path to the fort, and, on a plaza day, step into the plaza. That can be the whole visit. If the wind or sun is a lot, the shade shelter and picnic tables by the parking lot are a good place to regroup.
As of May 2025, entrance fees are indefinitely suspended, and an entrance pass is not required.
Guided tours into some furnished rooms are scheduled depending on the time of year and park staff (see the park's event calendar); on a tour day they are first come, first served and limited to fifteen people. Visitors with accessibility needs are asked to arrive thirty minutes in advance or contact the park to arrange accommodations, if needed.
Junior Ranger: ask for the booklet (English and Spanish) when you arrive, complete the pages for your kid's level while you are there, then take it to a ranger for review; kids say the pledge and receive a wooden badge. The park does not mail out or accept mailed-in booklets.
Weather closures: if the heat index is over 100°F, tours are cancelled; over 105°F, the fort is closed. If wind chill is under 10°F, the fort closes. If heavy rains flood the plaza, the fort closes until the water drains.
Bull snakes and rattlesnakes are occasionally seen in and around the fort in warm seasons.
Visitors should not approach the ox that roams the fort grounds. The peacocks, peafowl and cats that live at the fort are not pets and are best left to themselves.
A wheelchair is available on site, and rangers are on hand during open hours to assist; to request it, call 719-383-5010 ext. 110 or ext. 133. Most of the first floor of the fort is wheelchair accessible, with soft surfaces.
Rangers generally answer the phone from 9 am to 3:30 pm Mountain Time; if no one answers, leave a message.
Pets must be leashed and kept away from fort livestock; they may be in the plaza but not in the fort rooms.
