Located off the beaten path, Fort Union National Monument offers living history, wondrous night skies

As far as historical landmarks go, Fort Union National Monument tends to fly under the radar.

“This was a major hub in the Southwest, a military hub that supplied forts like Fort Bliss and Fort Garland in Colorado. Over 40 other forts and camps were supplied by Fort Union,” said Bill Barley, chief of interpretation for the monument. “This was a huge, huge hub. But because there weren’t any battles here, a lot of people have never heard of it.”

Located in northeastern New Mexico, a little more than 150 miles from Albuquerque, Fort Union is celebrating the 172nd anniversary of the establishment of the fort from Thursday, July 27, to Sunday, July 30. The 69th anniversary of the monument itself was recognized in June. On each of those days, a 30-minute program will be held at 11:30 a.m. to commemorate the occasion.

“We’re going to be talking about why the fort was established at this particular location, the positive impacts as far as its establishment right on the Santa Fe Trail, its negative impacts to Native Americans, and the change of local basic agricultural economy into a monetized economy,” Barley said.

The anniversary is just one of numerous events and programs being held at the monument, which spans 721 acres and two units. The main unit is the primary attraction with a preserved second fort, a Civil War earthwork and the ruins of the third fort.

“The museum exhibits are less than a year old, we have picnic tables and restrooms and a brand-new exhibit area,” Barley said. “And we have a little bit more than a mile of walking trails. The monument itself protects the largest gathering of adobe ruins in the Southwest.”

For those looking for something off the beaten path, Fort Union might be an ideal choice.

“It gives people the opportunity to walk around through a historic fort, to see the ruins, to see the trails, to walk through the Santa Fe Trail,” Barley said. “It’s not crowded. Sometimes they can walk around the entire fort and never encounter another visitor. It’s a very different historical experience than many of your other much more popular National Park Service sites.”

Night wondersFort Union was recognized as an International Dark Sky Park in 2019, which, according to the International Dark-Sky Association, means it possesses “an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage and/or public enjoyment.”

All told, the park will hold Night Wonders events throughout the summer on July 29, Aug. 12, Aug. 26, Sept. 9 and Sept. 23. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. and the program, which starts at 8 p.m., lasts 60 to 90 minutes.

“We don’t call it a star program because sometimes our weather can be a little iffy. … We try to do a heavy focus on astronomy, naked eye, and also using telescopes and astronomy binoculars,” Barley said.

“The park normally isn’t open for visitation in the evening hours. It’s a chance to get out not only to see the ruins and walk the trails in the evening time, but to experience an International Dark-Sky park that sits off way by itself.”

‘A play of candlelight’Once a year, staff dress in costume for a lantern-lit tour to play the roles of key figures in Fort Union’s history.

“Essentially, you go around through the ruins, and you encounter people in living history costume,” Barley said. “And they are portraying a particular aspect of the history of the fort and the Santa Fe Trail. Some are skits, some are monologues. This year we’re focusing on the diversity that Fort Union brought to the Southwest along with the army.”

The presentation changes each year and requires reservations for each 45-minute program. This year’s version takes place on Aug. 5 and offers five programs between 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Each program is limited to 25 people.