NPS seeks public input on future of reconstructed fort at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site

News Release Date:
August 18, 2026

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LA JUNTA, Colo. - The National Park Service invites the public to review and comment on four early concepts for the condition and future of the reconstructed fort at Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site. The concepts and supporting information are available at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ beolalternatives, and comments will be accepted through October 23.

Four early concepts
All four concepts would address accessibility, fire and life safety, interpretation, visitor experience, resource protection and long-term operations and maintenance. The concepts are not final architectural designs, and the NPS has not selected a preferred concept. The early concepts are:

• Rehabilitate/Reconstruct: Continue to use a complete replica as the primary visitor experience through either modern reconstruction or extensive rehabilitation with more compatible and durable materials. Either approach would require substantial changes to meet modern accessibility, fire, life-safety and fall-protection requirements.

• Beyond the Walls: Retain and rehabilitate selected portions of the replica while reducing its physical and operational footprint. Improve interpretation and access throughout the broader historic landscape and strengthen connections to related sites, including Sand Creek Massacre and Amache national historic sites.

• Activated Frame: Create a contemporary interpretive structure within the historic fort footprint and expand opportunities to experience the site's cultural and natural landscape through interpretation, trails, recreation and other sensory experiences.

• The Eras: Remove the replica and mark the historic fort footprint through low walls, paving, wireframes, or other landscape features. Construct visitor contact, park store, restroom and accessibility facilities outside the fort footprint and interpret the site's history across multiple eras.

The NPS began government-to-government consultation with associated Tribes during the week of August 17. The NPS will also share information through community organized events and other informal gatherings during the comment period. The park also plans to hold a virtual public meeting in October, and the meeting information will be posted on the PEPC project page when available.

The NPS is particularly interested in comments and input on several areas: expectations for visitor activities and experiences 50 years from now; which aspects of the early concepts are most useful or appealing; and whether there are additional ideas the NPS should consider exploring.

"Bent's Old Fort holds a cherished place in our nation's history, and the reconstructed fort has shaped the memories and experiences of generations of visitors," said Superintendent Eric Leonard. "As we honor what this place and the reconstruction have meant over the past 50 years, we also have an opportunity to look ahead and consider how visitors can best experience, understand and connect with this historic site for the next 50 years."

After the comment period closes, the NPS will review input received through Tribal consultation and public engagement, refine the concepts as appropriate and determine the next planning and compliance steps. Large infrastructure projects require extensive planning, design, compliance, funding, and implementation and no planning, construction or implementation schedule has been established.

About Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site

Strategically situated along the Santa Fe Trail, the historic fort operated from 1833 to 1849 as a major trading center and later supported the U.S. military during the Mexican-American War. The fort visitors experience today is an approximately 50,000-square-foot reconstruction completed by the NPS in 1976 on the footprint of the original structure.

The reconstruction is experiencing significant deterioration. Although designed to resemble an adobe fort, the building's core includes reinforced concrete and cement-stabilized masonry covered by adobe, plaster, cottonwood, and other materials. Design details and incompatible materials contributed to moisture intrusion, erosion, structural deterioration, and recurring failures beginning soon after construction.

The NPS undertook repeated repairs over several decades, but much of that work addressed individual symptoms rather than the underlying cause. The park estimates that more than $15 million has been spent during the past 30 years on maintenance staffing and projects while the overall condition of the reconstructed fort continued to decline.

For more information, visit https://www.nps.gov/beol.

-- NPS --