In a different world, we would’ve visited Chamizal National Memorial in the first week or so after moving to El Paso. But #covid happened, so it took us 18 months to finally get over there. Chamizal National Memorial preserves a quirk of nature that changed an international boundary and celebrates the friendship between the United States and Mexico.
The Rio Grande serves as the official border between the United States and Mexico for the entire length of Texas. Over the centuries (millennia), the river changed course after seasonal flooding. That wasn’t an issue until the Rio Grande receded and moved a neighborhood from Mexico into the US in the late 1800s. A border dispute arose and wasn’t resolved until LBJ was president. The countries dug a flood channel to prevent changes to the river’s course around El Paso, and the land on either side of the border was preserved as public parks.
Address and Location
You’ll find Chamizal National Monument at 800 South San Marcial Street in El Paso, Texas. The site is accessible from the Paisano Drive exit of US 54 / TX 375 or from downtown.
Cost
Exploring Chamizal National Monument is free!
What to Do
The Visitor’s Center is quite large but doesn’t really have a lot of stuff to fill it. The museum has an interesting exhibit about the Mexican-American War and the politics that created the border dispute. It also covers history of El Paso and Juarez over the years. You can also browse an art gallery.
The park itself is a decent size and covers about 55 acres. You can follow the paved paths to stretch your legs. The outer loop path is about a mile long; it’s gravel with slight elevation changes and are mostly accessible. Take in view of the Bridge of the Americas (it’s right next to the park), downtown El Paso, and the mountains of El Paso and Juarez.
As you walk the outer loop, keep an eye out for the border markers along Paisano Drive. This row marked the original border established by the Treaty of 1848 at the end of the Mexican-American War. Because of how the border shifted, you can see both the American and Mexican sides of the markers.
Texas National Park Service Sites: Guadalupe Mountains National Park | Amistad National Recreation Area | Big Bend National Park | Fort Davis National Historic Site
