Rocky Mountain House today is a small rural town and service centre for local agriculture, logging and oil and gas industry.

In 1799, Rocky Mountain House was one of the westernmost trading posts in the fur trade which preceded settlement of the west by Europeans. From here, famous explorer and mapmaker David Thompson repeatedly tried and eventually succeeded to cross the Rocky Mountains and make his way to the Pacific ocean.

Not much can be seen today of the original fort, which was razed and rebuilt a number of times. However, the grounds and museum are well worth a visit, if you are in the area in summer.