Oregon Trail: A Quick Stop at Fort Laramie WY

Just 3 miles south of the town of Fort Laramie, WY is old Fort Laramie. The actual fort no longer exists, but many of the original buildings do. It was a beautiful, but busy, day when we stopped for a short visit. We had to meet someone for lunch, and then dinner at a Pastor's farm. There weren't many people there so it made the stop all the more enjoyable.

Here you can find out what frontier life was like in the mid 1800s. The original fort only measured 100 x 50 feet with a 15 foot high palisade hewn from cottonwood logs. The buildings had thick walls for protection from the harsh prairie elements, as well as protection during battle. Indian treaties were signed, and broken here. For those traversing the Oregon Trail it was a place to restock, repair, rest, do your laundry in the nearby Laramie river, and take a bath. During the height of the Oregon Trail as many as 50,000 emigrants would pass through Fort Laramie. The fort had everything a weary traveler would need: A commissary, bakery, livery, hospital, ammunition, etc.

There are no restaurants and no camping at the fort. That can be found at nearby towns. There is a pretty picnic area so bring a basket and make a day of it. There's so much to see that you can't take it all in unless you spend plenty of time at the fort.

Equipment:
iPhone 10
A 15 year old Olympus VG-140 Camera
Bcway Phone All-in-One Travel Tripod with Remote
Trekking Poles, Insulated Bottles, and Backpack are Ozark Trail
Hiking hat is a Tilley

Music:
Spanish Moss by Chris Haugen
Fractal of Light by Chris Haugen
Alyssa by The Mini Vandals

We travel in a 2019 Toyota RAV4 XLE front-wheel drive with over 102,000 miles. We are still praying for a small Scamp or an Aliner to tow behind it.

Recorded on location June 28, 2021 at Fort Laramie National Historic Site, WY.