Fort Phil Kearny
State Historic Site
DATES OPEN: Grounds open year round, weather permitting. Visitor center open April 1—November 30.
HOURS: 8 AM to 6 PM during the summer and noon to 4 PM during the winter
FACILITIES: Visitor center, restrooms, drinking water, museum, gift shop, picnic areas, trails, and viewing area—tours are self-guided. Additional restrooms and a picnic area are located at the Wagon Box Fight site. Note: camping is prohibited.
ADMISSION: Resident day use fee $1.00, non-resident day use fee $2.00. Guided bus tours are available for $2.00 per person. There is no fee charged for persons 17 years of age & younger at Historic Sites (includes admission to the Wagon Box Fight and Fetterman Battlefields).
HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE: Yes
LOCATION: 20 miles south of Sheridan—take Exit 44 off of I-90.
Fort Phil Kearny
The largest of the three forts established along the Bozeman Trail leading to the gold fields in Montana, Fort Phil Kearny was established in July of 1866. Along with Forts Reno and C.F. Smith, Fort Phil Kearny was meant to protect travelers along the “bloody Bozeman” from attack by Plains Indian groups wary of further encroachment by pioneers and the military. Additionally, the fort was intended to prevent intertribal warfare in the region and keep the focus of Indian groups away from the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad south of the Bozeman Trail. An eight foot tall wooden stockade fortified Fort Phil Kearny’s 17 acres. Two major battles, the Fetterman Fight and the Wagon Box Fight, occurred near the fort along with numerous smaller skirmishes. Now, trails lead visitors to the sites of these skirmishes, and interpretive signs tell the stories of conflict from the perspectives of both the military and Indian groups. Following the completion of the transcontinental railroad, the U.S. government signed the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 and closed the forts along the Bozeman Trail. Shortly after the army abandoned Fort Phil Kearny, it was burned down, likely by Cheyenne forces. Take an afternoon to explore the fort and the nearby Wagon Box Fight and Fetterman battlefields where trails, tours, and museum exhibits transport visitors back to a time when cultures clashed in conflict on the western frontier.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
ON THE WEB:
http://wyoparks.state.wy.us/Sites/FortPhilKearny/index.asp
http://philkearny.vcn.com/
http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/kearny.htm
AT THE LIBRARY:
The Fetterman Massacre (formerly Fort Phil Kearny, an American
Saga), by Dee Brown (University of Nebraska Press, 1984).
Protect Our Heritage!
Archaeologists are still piecing together the events that took place at Fort Phil Kearny. Please do not remove or disturb artifacts or use a metal detector on the grounds. Additionally, we ask that visitors do not disturb plant life or discharge firearms and keep pets on leashes.
To report vandalism, call:
Fort Phil Kearny Office
307-684-7629