Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site announces special presentations for Saturday, July 5, 2025, as part of its Stories of the Borderlands program series. This presentation will be offered at 10:00 a.m. in the corral at the rear of the Fort, and 2:00 p.m. at Woodruff Memorial Library in La Junta.

This program explores the life of Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau, one of the most fascinating people to work for Bent, St. Vrain & Company. Charbonneau is remembered primarily as the son of Sacagawea. His father, Toussaint Charbonneau, was a French-Canadian fur trapper who joined the Lewis and Clark Expedition as an interpreter; his mother, Sacagawea proved invaluable as the explorers’ interpreter among the Shoshone. In the 1840s, Charbonneau took on various jobs for Bent, St. Vrain & Co., including that of meat hunter for the fort. 

Visitors should be prepared for the weather. Water, dressing in layers, and comfortable walking shoes are recommended. There are walking trails throughout the park, and visitors should prepare for the quarter mile walk from the visitor parking area to the fort. Bent’s Old Fort NHS is located on Colorado State Highway 194, 6 miles East of La Junta.