Natural Fort, Carr, Colorado

Free Nature Wallpaper Photographs

A few miles south of the Wyoming border on Interstate 25 one finds the Natural Fort right out in the middle of nowhere. The highway runs right down the middle of it, and at one time there was a rest stop from the interstate there. It is long closed, but those who travel the highway are amazed by the scenery.

I have been told that there was a battle between Blackfoot and Crow Indians there in 1831, so, as the name implies, the area has been used as a fort. Having walked and climbed through all of it, I can state that the section on the west side of the highway would not be suitable for that. But on the east side, there is a fairly large section in the middle which is complete surrounded by rocks, and which can only be reached by climbing. The bottom is sand, which is trapped by the natural ring. It would indeed make a good fort.

The information on the battle comes from the autobiography of the black mountain man James Beckwourth. Beckwourth lived among and acted as a chief of the Absaroke Crow Indians. On November 21, 1834, the Crow came across a large party of the their enemy the Blackfeet. The Blackfeet took refuge in the Natural Fort, and then many more Crow came to the scene to make a sort of siege. According to Beckwourth, the Crow chiefs decided that the Blackfeet were not assailable from their strong position in the fort, and decided not to attack, but Beckwourth convinced them to try. The Crow made a large diversion on one side of the fort and then stormed in from the other. The sheer numbers involved according to Beckwourth would mean that bodies would be packed in close together in the battle that followed. He describes such a scene of carnage and blood. About forty Crow warriors were killed, but the Blackfeet were completely annihilated.

I know of no other historical battles that took place on the site.

These pictures were taken midday on April 11, 2003. The clouds and sun made for some particularly stunning photographs.

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These photos were taken just a few months later in spring or summer. I did not record the date. A rich blue sky and green trees and grass made for a different view.

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These photos were taken on August 3, 2004 just at sunset. I have visited the site again since then, but found the rocks to have been vandalized with carvings and spray paint. I don't suppose I need to express my feelings about those who would do such a thing.

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Natural Fort Panoramas
Ghost Towns - Carr, Colorado

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