Old Forts Trail

Why This Matters Here

The Old Forts Trail isn’t a modern highway or an official federal route — it’s a historic corridor of forts, trading posts, and military sites that once formed the backbone of frontier presence across Montana and the northern plains.

Fort Benton sits at the heart of this network. As a major river port and hub of trade, travel, and military movement in the 19th century, it connected travelers, traders, and soldiers to a web of forts and strategic sites that stretched across the region.

Visitors today can use this idea as a story lens to make sense of the many historic places and museums in and around Fort Benton and throughout eastern and central Montana.

Experience the Old Fort in Fort Benton

While the original path between forts is not a single marked road today, you can explore key pieces of this history in and around Fort Benton:

• Historic Old Fort Benton — A reconstruction that reflects the look and feel of the river fort that anchored trade and presence on the Upper Missouri
• Museum of the Upper Missouri — Exhibits on frontier life, trade, and military interactions
• Montana’s Agricultural Museum (Museum of the Northern Great Plains) — Regional context on settlement and community development
• Interpretive signage — Along the levee and downtown that speak to frontier movement, defense, and commerce
• Nearby historic towns and forts — As part of a longer itinerary (e.g., Great Falls, Fort Shaw, Helena) if you’re exploring broader frontier history

These sites let visitors connect dots between Fort Benton’s layered history and the wider network of frontier forts and outposts that once dominated the region.

Learn More

For broader context on forts in Montana and the northern plains:

• National Park Service — Frontier Military Sites
• Old Forts Trail

Explore the museums and historic sites of Fort Benton and plan your visit to see how this town helped knit together frontier life, defense, and movement.