Fort Bridger Historic Site

Where: In the southwest corner of Wyoming, about a 45-minute drive beyond Evanston.

Drive time from Salt Lake City: About 2 hours, assuming good weather.

Directions: Follow I-80 east. Take the Fort Bridger exit. Proceed for approximately 2 1/2 miles. The fort will be on your right.

Hours of operation: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

Admission fee: $2 per person; people 18 and under are admitted free.

Information: 1-307-782-3842

Significance: Fort Bridger has had several incarnations, all of which were related to its location on major routes used by pioneers heading west — the Oregon and Mormon trails and the Pony Express Route. It was a player in frontier history; a Seven-11 of its day. It was established in 1843 by fur trapper/trader Jim Bridger and his partner Louis Vasquez as an emigrant trading post. They operated it until 1853. Mormons purchased it in 1853 and ran it until 1857. It was a post for the U.S. military in 1857 to 1890 and then abandoned. Today it is an historic site operated by the state of Wyoming. Original buildings at the fort date from the military occupation; a replica of the Jim Bridger trading post is part of the present-day experience.

Things to do: Get a feel for the wide-open spaces of southwest Wyoming and a sense of the frontier. The museum has displays that span the fort's existence from the mountain man era to the military one. A self-guided walking tour will take you inside some of the buildings.