Fort Phil Kearny

Fort Phil Kearny was constructed in 1866 along the Bozeman Trail on the eastern side of the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming. The fort was one of 3 established to protect miners and travelers passing through Indian Territory on their way to the gold fields of Montana.

The historic fort played a major role in the Indian Wars around the area and was the post where Captain Fetterman and 80 other men rode from before being wiped out in what became known at the Fetterman Massacre. 

The fort, known as "the hated post on the Little Piney," was abandoned by the Army in 1868 when the railroad reached far enough west to enable the travelers to reach the Montana gold fields by riding the rails through Idaho and making the dangerous Bozeman Trail obsolete. The Indians burned it as soon as the soldiers left.

Today at this historic site, some of the buildings have been restored and there is a visitor center with videos and exhibits, a book store, and self-guided tours of the grounds. Not exactly worth a long trip just to see it, but if you are in the area like Lil Dude Troll was, it's worth a stop!