The best camping near Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site

Before the Wild West, there was Bent's Old Fort near the Arkansas River in La Junta, Colorado. The site was one of the first European settlements out west. It served as a peaceful trading post for trappers, traders, travelers, and members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. Although "fort" is in its name, this adobe building wasn't necessarily a military installation. The U.S. Army didn't use the fort full-time until 1846.

Originally built in 1833, you can travel to Bent's Old Fort to see a reconstruction of the original structure. The building is unmistakable. It's the muddy-brown building with a round tower on two corners. It's like a short castle with an open courtyard on the inside.

Take a tour to see what trading was like in the early 1800s, before a flood of settlers came here after the Civil War. White settlers traded their goods with Native American tribes who supplied buffalo robes and buffalo skins. Inside the fort, see where people kept their horses in the shade and out of the hot sun. Rooms, where people slept, had wooden windows for air circulation, but they were expertly hidden beneath the main walls of the fort for protection and comfort.

When you're here, talk to some of the guides dressed in period costume. They truly bring this remote outpost to life. One of the men might represent William or Charles Brent, two brothers from St. Louis who went west to seek their fortunes. They built this fort in Colorado as a place for anyone and everyone, regardless of color, creed or ethnic background.

The fort was a vibrant place until 1849 when it was abandoned after 16 years. Too bad, because the history of the west might have happened differently had Bent's Old Fort survived.