PO Box 127, Watrous, NM 87753
Phone: 505-425-8025
Fax: 505-454-1155
Open All Year
Overview. In 1851, the first of three forts was built on this site as a Santa Fe Trail supply depot and headquarters for the Ninth Military Department. The second, an eight-pointed earthwork, was built during the Civil War against the threat of Confederate attack. The third fort, a collection of more than 50 adobe structures, was built between 1863 and 1869, and was in its day the largest fort on the frontier west of the Mississippi. Kit Carson and the New Mexico Volunteers used the fort as a base, and it employed more than a thousand workers. It was abandoned in 1891 and fell to ruins. Here, visitors can still see wagon ruts of the old Santa Fe Trail. What to see and do. Before exploring the fort's sprawling ruins via the 1.5-mile interpretive trail, stop by the visitor center to see photos and artifacts from the fort in its better days, and learn about its past from the "talking displays" and living history demonstrations. There is also a picnic area at the visitor center. The monument is open daily, from 8 AM to 5 PM, with longer hours in summer. It is closed on Christmas and New Year's Day. Leashed pets are permitted on trails only. Some handicapped-accessible facilities are available.
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