Fort Laramie National Historic Site, National historic site in Goshen County, Wyoming, United States
Fort Laramie sits where the North Platte and Laramie Rivers meet, with twelve restored buildings spanning the 1849-1880 period. The layout reveals the organization of a military post with living quarters, administrative spaces, work areas, and facilities needed to run a major installation.
William Sublette and Robert Campbell founded Fort William here in 1834; the American Fur Company replaced it in 1841 with the adobe Fort John, built by workers from Santa Fe. The U.S. Army bought the post in 1849 for $4,000 and used it to protect Oregon Trail wagon trains. The name Fort Laramie shortened Fort John at the Laramie River.
This location hosted crucial negotiations between the US government and Northern Plains Nations, where decisions about land and boundaries took shape. Visitors can walk through the spaces where these talks occurred and sense the historical weight these buildings carried for many peoples.
Start at the 1884 Commissary Storehouse, which offers an orientation film and exhibits to frame your visit. Allow time to walk between buildings and grounds to get a full sense of the post's layout and daily operations.
The metal truss bridge in the photographs is the Old Iron Bridge over the Laramie River. Its wooden deck and dark brown arches stand near the confluence with the North Platte, and the foundation of an earlier bridge can still be found along the riverbank.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,858 contributors worldwide.
