LA JUNTA, Colo. – The adobe walls of Bent’s Old Fort rise above an expanse of prairie. Green and tawny grasses cover the land, where occasional patches of milkweed sway their fluffy heads and form soft islands—clouds adrift, escapees from the sky.

Don’t be fooled by the serenity outside this former trading post. Within the two-foot-thick walls lies a bustling world that whisks you back to the 1840s. You might see chocolate-colored oxen, with horns like white boomerangs, towing a wagon, or a silvery-gray horse, saddled and ready to travel. You can get your hands dirty or doughy, making adobe or preparing food in the kitchen. Listen to stories around a fire circle and cast an eye on the wares for sale in the trade room.

This week, the National Park Getaway series features an article on Bent’s Old Fort. Read to learn the history embodied by the objects—cooking tripods, tin cups, buffalo robes—golden-brown buildings, and canvas-covered wagons of this national historic site.

“In the heyday of Bent’s Old Fort, you could come here and find the wealth of the West—silver, hides, livestock—changing hands,” said Rick Wallner, Chief of Interpretation at Bent’s Old Fort. “There’s still a vibrant exchange taking place. We welcome visitors of all ages and backgrounds, who come bringing their questions and their willingness to try new things. In return, they get a taste of mid-19th-century life at an outpost in the sparsely-settled, adventure-rich West.”

Read this week’s National Park Getaway article to get background information about this national historic site and to learn about the park’s upcoming golden anniversary celebration. The articles about Bent’s Old Fort and previous Getaway destinations may be found at www.nps.gov/getaways. Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site is the 48th park featured in the Getaway series, which introduces you every week to a new place to reconnect with nature, history, family, and friends.