Bent’s Old Fort NHS was built in 1833 specifically to encourage trade between white trappers and Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. For a time, it was an important stop on the Santa Fe Trail, but unfortunately was abandoned during a great cholera epidemic in 1849 and ultimately destroyed. It was reconstructed in 1976 utilizing original sketches, paintings, and archeological knowledge. If you like travelling backroads like I do, you will find this treasure just off of scenic U.S. 50 in southeastern Colorado.
