Fort Sanders, Wyoming — History & Visitor Guide

Fort Sanders (Albany County, near Laramie, Wyoming)

Albany County, near Laramie · Wyoming · Indian Wars

Quick BriefFort Sanders was a wooden fort constructed in 1866 on the Laramie Plains in southern Wyoming, near the city of Laramie. Originally named Fort John Buford, it was renamed Fort Sanders after General William P. Sanders, who died at the Siege of Knoxville during the American Civil War. The fort was originally intended to protect travelers on the nearby Overland Trail from Indian attacks, but later the garrison was tasked with protecting the workers of the Union Pacific railroad when it arrived in the spring of 1868. The War Department maintained it until 1882 when the buildings were sold.

Civil WarOpen to visitors

History & Significance

Established on July 10, 1866, and renamed on September 5, 1866, Fort Sanders was built to honor William P. Sanders, a captain in the Second United States Cavalry and brigadier general of volunteers. The fort was established to protect emigrant, military and stage line traffic on the Laramie Plains portion of the Overland/Cherokee and Lodgepole Creek Trails.

Beginning in 1867, troops escorted survey and construction crews of the Union Pacific Railroad. The post was originally built for four companies but was later expanded to accommodate six, with nearly all buildings constructed of wood except for the stone guardhouse, which was built in 1869 and remains the only structure standing on the original site today.

In the post's sixteen year existence its troops were involved in twenty major skirmishes with Indians, although no battles occurred on fort grounds. After completion of Fort D. A. Russell at Cheyenne late in 1868, the importance of Fort Sanders began to wane, and the War Department maintained it until 1882, when the property and buildings were sold and the post vacated.

Two buildings were moved to Laramie and survive today, including the Commander's quarters, which were moved to LaBonte Park and have been used as a community center and preschool for decades, while another building became the Cavalrymen Supper Club. The guardhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Key Facts

StateWyoming

LocationAlbany County, near Laramie

Established1866

Decommissioned1882

War / eraIndian Wars

Current statusRuins

Coordinates41.26916667, -105.5947222

NRHP reference80004300

Map

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🧳 Visiting

What you’ll see when you visit:

Surviving stone guardhouse from 1866 military post
Laramie Plains setting on the Oregon/Bozeman Trail corridor
Indian Wars-era fortification protecting transcontinental railroad expansion
Interpretive site with views of original parade ground foundations

Best time to visitLate spring through early fall (May–September) offers the most accessible weather; Wyoming high plains winters are severe with heavy snow.

Getting thereLaramie Regional Airport (LAR) is 8.2 km away; the fort is near Laramie in Albany County.

From the nearest major airportDenver International Airport (DEN)🚗 133 mi by road⏱️ ≈ 2 hr 27 min drive

Fort Sanders (Albany County, near Laramie, Wyoming)

History & Significance

Key Facts

Map

🧳 Visiting

Sources

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