Named in honor of frontier trader William Bent and located on the eastern plains, Bent County has a population of nearly 6,000. The city of Las Animas is the county seat and historical sites and points of interest include:
- John Martin Reservoir State Park – full-service camping, boating, and hiking, along with wildlife and birdwatching, make this a popular destination for locals and tourists.
- History buffs will enjoy the Zebulon Montgomery Pike Expedition Trail that runs through the county and marks the “first view” monument, which marks the location Pike had his first glimpse of the “small blue cloud” that was later identified as Pikes Peak.
- The Bent County Courthouse was renovated at a cost of over $3 million and is a point of pride in the community. In 2010, the project received the Stephen H. Hart Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation from the Colorado Historical Society.