During our trip to Santa Fe, we decided to knock out a handful of NPS sites in northern New Mexico. Our first stop was Fort Union National Monument. It was a pretty easy (five hour) drive from El Paso on state and federal highways. I loved seeing the browns and tans of the Chihuahuan Desert fade into the rocky hills, pine trees, and dark blue stormy skies of the lower Rocky Mountains.
When we visit these old posts, I like to remind Mac that modern Army posts are a lot better than what the Army of the 1870s to early 1900s offered. Fort Union served as a remote Army outpost to protect trade and settlers along the Santa Fe Trail. Only ruins of the installation remain, and it was interesting to learn about how an old frontier fort operated. I loved the contrast of the warm, red adobe against the green fields and the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo range along the horizon.
Address and Location
You can access Fort Union National Monument from Exit 366 (NM 161) of I-25. The site doesn’t have a proper street address. If you are using a GPS, use PO Box 127 in Watrous, New Mexico, as your address. We searched for Fort Union as a point of interest in our GPS, and our GPS directions were correct. We also saw the standard brown park signs leading up to and off of the interstate exit. You’ll drive through the park gate a few miles down NM 161 off the exit.
Cost
Exploring Fort Union is free.
What to Do
When you’re driving up to the park, you’ll see a few pull-offs on the highway. Several of these have interpretative signs. Heading towards to the park, keep an eye out for wagon ruts from the original Santa Fe Trail.
If you time it right, hop on a guided tour with one of the Rangers. They’ll take you through the timeline and history of Fort Union’s life as an Army post as you walk through the installation ruins. If you decide to opt for the self-guided route, head left down the trail behind the Visitor’s Center. Be sure to stop and read the interpretative signs along the way because they’ll help you get an idea of the size and purpose of Fort Union. And be on the lookout for wildlife. We saw a beautiful bull snake cruising along the sidewalk when we arrived.
New Mexico National Park Service sites: Aztec Ruins National Monument | White Sands National Park | Fort Union National Historic Site | Pecos National Historic Site | Valles Caldera National Monument | Los Alamos | Bandelier National Monument | Carlsbad Caverns National Park
