For nearly 200 years, the Fort Bridger State Historic Site has seen mountain men, Mormons, soldiers and pioneers travelling through its grounds. At least 20,000 people died along the famed Oregon Trail, which ran through the site, some of whom still rest at Ft. Bridger. That’s why the Fort Bridger Historical Association is leaning into its haunted past this year with a new paranormal investigation event.
Just outside of Evanston, Ft. Bridger also served as a crossroads for the Mormon Trail, the Pony Express Route, the Transcontinental Railroad and the Lincoln Highway. The historic site is most famous for its annual Mountain Man Rendezvous, where visitors can take part in a multi-day reenactment of the fur trade era that occurred in the Rocky Mountains from 1825-1840. Attendees typically dress in authentic garb, eat traditional food and trade 19th-century goods. Last year, around 50,000 people attended.
Josh Camp, the Ft. Bridger Superintendent, says the mountain man market is relatively small. So in order to entice new visitors, the site will host a weekend-long paranormal investigation. From July 30-Aug. 1, visitors will be led through a “ghost hunt” across the campgrounds where they will learn about the history of the area and the people who stayed there.
Camp said this event is perfect for a site like Ft. Bridger, which has a rich story to tell. He said that ghost hunting is a unique way to tell it.
“There is something special here at Fort Bridger, and most people can feel it when they come onsite,” Camp said. “As a scientist, you need to either prove something does exist, or you need to prove it doesn’t. Ghosts inhabit that mysterious region where you really can’t do either.”
Camp said that having the chance to experience the investigation for themselves helps people draw their own conclusions about the history they are investigating. He said the historical association is trying to reach as many people in Wyoming as possible. A family-friendly event combining history with fun activities could help bring even more attention to the site.
The event taps into the $34.2 billion “dark tourism” industry. For years, people have flocked to sites of genocide, incarceration, war and disaster to catch a glimpse at what horrors the human has endured. Researchers think this cultural fascination has something to do with the way visitors see a version of themselves in the people who died at these places.
While Ft. Bridger isn’t the site of major horrific events, many people have died on its grounds since its inception. Storied figures of the American West restocked supplies and stayed at the camp. The grounds staff consistently get reports of people thinking they see or hear one of these figures in their ghostly form.
Referring to the types of things the staff at Ft. Bridger might say to guests during the excursion, Camp said, “Certainly something happened under this bridge, and here are the stories we’ve had reported to us about supposed hauntings here.” We will be there to encourage people where to look, where to hunt and how to have some fun with it.”
Marie Mason is the paranormal expert leading the investigation at Ft. Bridger. She said the site is ripe with ghosts who suffered a traumatic experience, making the grounds a hotspot for ghost hunting.
“There’s some untapped paranormal there—absolutely!” Mason said. “Mountain men killing each other, you have the Utah Wars, the Mormon Wars, the Indian Wars, Calamity Jane, Donner Family. Wow. It can’t get any better than that, right?”
Mason, who has appeared on television for hosting numerous other ghost tours, will be training attendees to use the paranormal equipment to communicate with the ghosts. Visitors can pay up to $55.20 for one night’s investigation, or buy a three-day VIP pass for the entire event. That will run you $160.83.
Mason said, “Everything changes at night,” which is when attendees can experience the spookiest parts of the tour. After the training, Mason will lead the group through various activities and locations. Guests will hear ghost stories, wander the halls of buildings said to be haunted and use special equipment to “see” and “hear” the ghosts in action. Mason says that each of these experiences will allow people to actively interact with Ft. Bridger’s history.
“The ghosts are going to be telling the history—their history,” Mason said. “It’s a way for these historical locations to bring new visitors through these different events, and to keep this history alive. If we don’t have more people show up to these locations, then that history will be lost.”
Ft. Bridger has hosted ghost tours in the past, but usually around Halloween. But the site isn’t abandoning its role as a museum in favor of paranormal events. In fact, the association says this is the best way to preserve the site’s history and improve communities around Wyoming. They also host holiday events and educational programming. They said this specific event fits well into their already popular Mountain Man Rendezvous.
