Fort Piute was built in the late 1867 by the men of Company "D" 9th U.S. Infantry. For a short time the army escorted the U.S. mail along this route. The ruins of Fort Piute where badly vandalized over the years. In 2005 the National Park Service restored part of the walls to what you see now. Past this old army outpost the old wagon road was badly damaged and is now only a hiking trail.