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All the United States New Mexico Watrous Fort Union National Monument
AO Edited

Fort Union National Monument

The ruins of this abandoned fort now stand as a picturesque reminder of America's march West.

Watrous, New Mexico

Added By
Rob Tallia
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Fort Union National Monument   Rob Tallia / Atlas Obscura User
Fort Union National Monument   Rob Tallia / Atlas Obscura User
Fort Union National Monument   Rob Tallia / Atlas Obscura User
Fort Union National Monument   Rob Tallia / Atlas Obscura User
Fort Union National Monument   Rob Tallia / Atlas Obscura User
Fort Union National Monument   Rob Tallia / Atlas Obscura User
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About

A former bustling military fort that has lain undisturbed for 120 years still rests on the high prairie of New Mexico despite being made of soft adobe material.

In 1870 Fort Union was a major stop on the 1,200-mile Santa Fe trail, easily the home stretch for caravans starting in Missouri. The Civil War had officially ended but the “Union” army still occupied New Mexico's Fort Union, which was also a center of trade in addition to being a well-known military outpost. It was populated by a mix of soldiers, locals, travelers, and anyone else who had business on the Santa Fe Trail. This is of course until the railroads came.

The new speedier form of transportation bypassed the fort entirely, turning the once integral trading fort into a veritable ghost town. In a stretch of only 10 years, the fort was essentially left for dead, to bake and crumble under the New Mexico sun. Luckily, before the adobe walls could turn to dust, preservationists in the 1950s shored up the remains of the fort's structures, and the Fort Union National Monument was born.

Today Fort Union is essentially a ghost town just off an absolutely empty stretch of Route 25 between Las Vegas and Raton. It has two rows of adobe ruins, some old cannons and farming equipment, and wagon ruts in the ground where the Santa Fe trail once ran. Standing in the middle of this empty plain, it’s almost impossible to imagine a thriving military/civilian/commercial village having existed here, which is a major part of Fort Union’s charm.

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Ruins Us Civil War Monuments

Know Before You Go

Take route 161 North from Watrous, NM off of Interstate 25. The Monument is free to the public and dog-friendly as long as they are leashed. Be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen and bring some water as it is all outdoors. You can do the self-guided tour or take a guided tour with a very friendly ranger.

Community Contributors

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Rob Tallia

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tseelie, CorpseLady84, klasicm, mhansen721...

  • tseelie
  • CorpseLady84
  • klasicm
  • mhansen721
  • breaingram
  • SemiruralYeti

Published

September 25, 2014

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Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Union_National_Monument
Fort Union National Monument
3115 NM-161
Watrous, New Mexico, 87753
United States
35.904979, -105.011346
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

Dwan Light Sanctuary

Montezuma, New Mexico

miles away

Kiowa National Grassland

Mills, New Mexico

miles away

St. James Hotel

Cimarron, New Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Mexico

New Mexico

United States

Places 179
Stories 21

Nearby Places

Dwan Light Sanctuary

Montezuma, New Mexico

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Kiowa National Grassland

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miles away

St. James Hotel

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Mexico

New Mexico

United States

Places 179
Stories 21

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