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Fort Collins Military Years Tour

  • 2 hours
  • Free cancellation up to 24h before
  • Guided in English
  • Instant confirmation

Highlights

For each tour, owner and principal historical interpreter, Mark Serour, imparts the intriguing history of Fort Collins and the surrounding region in an engaging, detailed, and fun fashion. To enhance the customer experience, Mark dresses in period clothing and shares a variety of relevant visual aids from the Traces of the Past company collections and archives. We are the only History tours business in greater Fort Collins that provides such a service. Customers will enjoy a guided van tour coupled with some light walking around the greater Fort Collins area. Our tours present the fascinating stories of personalities and events that pertain not only to the immediate Cache la Poudre River valley, but also to southeastern WY and western NE. Thorough history is not the story of one locality, but an all-encompassing impartial study that involves many peoples spread over a broad geographic area. Traces of the Past History Tours strives to do just that.

Inclusions

What's included

  • Historic object viewing and handling
  • Personalized stagecoach ticket
  • Air-conditioned vehicle

Itinerary

  1. Cache la Poudre River: The Cache la Poudre River - French for "hide, or store, the powder," this stream attracted Native Americans, fur trappers, and emigrants to its grassy and wooded banks. The life blood to a desert climate, it eventually fostered extensive settlement in the fertile valley that paved the way for the founding of the future city of Fort Collins.

    15 min

  2. Camp Collins No. 1: The U.S. Army first established a presence in the Cache la Poudre River valley in 1862 when orders were issued to deploy along the new mail route. Although nothing of the built environment remains of this post, customers will see its location and understand its geographic context and begin to learn about life in the frontier military.

    20 min

  3. Camp Collins No. 2, Fort Collins: The decision was made by Colonel William Collins to relocate the post further down the river in the summer of 1864 for several reasons. A detachment of Collins’ own 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry in conjunction with local resident Joseph Mason, as an unofficial guide, settled on a parcel that is now encompassed by present Fort Collins. The decision was made by Colonel William Collins to relocate the post further down the river in the summer of 1864 for several reasons. A detachment of Collins’ own 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry in conjunction with local resident Joseph Mason as unofficial guide settled on a parcel that is now encompassed by present Fort Collins. A good period view of the original fort site is offered.

    20 min

  4. Historic Janis and Stone cabins: Located in Library Park, these are two of the oldest intact buildings extant in Larimer County. Dating to the late 1850s and early 1860s, they provide a glimpse of the common architectural style that predominated in the Poudre valley during early settlement. Both cabins are administered by the City of Fort Collins and public access is limited.

    20 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Know before you go

Meeting point
Tours begin at the parking lot next to the entrance to Watson Lake State Wildlife Area. Located ~1 mile west of Vern's Place on Rist Canyon Rd. next to the bridge that crosses the Cache la Poudre River (closest address to site: 4900 Rist Canyon Rd., Laporte, CO 80521)
Pickup
Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
Ticket type
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group size
Up to 10 travellers
Operated by
Traces of the Past History Tours
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

How it compares in USA, outside the cities

  • Its from-price is 40% below the median of the 2274 experiences we list in USA, outside the cities.
  • Its length is typical for the group.
  • The operator lists free cancellation on it.

Special offers in USA, outside the cities

Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.

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