National Monument · New Mexico

Fort Union National Monument

Fort Union National Monument is a unit of the United States National Park Service located 7.7 miles north of Watrous in Mora County, New Mexico. It is run by the National Park Service. In 2025, it drew 7.8K visitors.

Photo: en:User:Nationalparks (Talk), CC BY-SA 2.5

Visitors in 2025

7.8K

record 13K in 2021 · National Park Service

Busiest month

June

3.2× January

Where

18 mi east of Mora

1 place to stay in Mora

Established

1956

National Park Service

In brief

A national monument, 18 mi east of Mora

Plan where you’ll sleep

The nearest town with many places to stay is Las Vegas, 24 miles southwest. Where to stay ↓

Visits fell 15% in 2025

The National Park Service counted 7,813 visitors in 2025, down from 9,217 the year before. Visitors ↓

Winters are cold

January nights drop to 14°, with about 43" of snow a year. When to go ↓

Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep

June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 75–83°. When to go ↓

Established in 1956

Fort Union National Monument dates from 1956 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓

Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.

When to go

Picking a month

Crowds at Fort Union rise and fall through the year, as below.

Jan46° / 14°314

Feb48° / 17°408

Mar55° / 23°942

Apr61° / 29°741

May70° / 36°791

Jun80° / 45°1K

Jul83° / 50°996

Aug80° / 48°754

Sep75° / 42°814

Oct65° / 31°743

Nov54° / 21°630

Dec45° / 14°399

Bars: average monthly visitors, 2022–2025. Line: the typical afternoon high. Green months are mild and quieter than average. Visitors: National Park Service visitor use statistics, recreation visits. Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Mora. Mora’s full climate →

About

Fort Union National Monument

Fort Union National Monument is a unit of the United States National Park Service located 7.7 miles north of Watrous in Mora County, New Mexico.

The site preserves the remains of three forts that were built starting in the 1850s. Also visible at Fort Union and from the road leading to it are ruts from the Mountain and Cimarron Branches of the old Santa Fe Trail.

Type: National Monument
Established: 1956
Run by: National Park Service
Listed: National Register of Historic Places (1966) · International Dark Sky Park (2019) · listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties (1969)
Wikipedia readers: 9.5K a year
Official site: nps.gov/foun

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Facts: Wikidata.

Plan your visit

Address3115 NM Highway 161, Watrous, NM 87753(505) 425-8025

Hours8:00am - 4:00pmThe monument grounds and visitor center are generally open 7 days a week, from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM. The monument is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day.

Getting thereFort Union National Monument is located in the Northeastern portion of the state of New Mexico. 8 miles off of Interstate I-25 on State Highway NM 161. New Mexico: From Albuquerque (156 miles), Santa Fe (94 miles) or Las Vegas, NM (28 miles) take I-25 North, exit 366 at Watrous, 8 miles on NM 161. Colorado: From Denver (313 miles), Colorado Springs (243 mil…

National Park Service. Check the park’s site for closures and alerts.

Where to stay

Places to stay near Fort Union National Monument

Rooms are nearest in Las Vegas (21) and Angel Fire (22).

Visitor centerPark landHighways12Places to stay in town

35 min drive

Las Vegas

21 places to stay · 14 hotels · 5 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground

The closest town with somewhere to stay.

12,574 people

24 mi southwest of Fort Union National Monument Visitor Center · 23 mi to the park

55 min drive

Angel Fire

22 places to stay · 11 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 2 RV parks

1,170 people · 71% vacation homes

36 mi northwest of Fort Union National Monument Visitor Center · 35 mi to the park

25 min drive

Mora

1 place to stay · 1 hotel

520 people

18 mi west of Fort Union National Monument Visitor Center · 17 mi to the park

Compare 3 towns

Town	From the visitor center	Drive	Places to stay	People	Typical home	Safety
Las Vegas	24 mi southwest	35 min	21 14 hotels · 5 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground	12,574	$155K	D
Angel Fire 71% vacation homes	36 mi northwest	55 min	22 11 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 2 RV parks	1,170	$547K	—
Mora	18 mi west	25 min	1 1 hotel	520	$172K	—

Getting there

Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center

TSMTaos Regional53 mi

SAFSanta Fe Municipal64 mi

ABQAlbuquerque International Sunport · major hub108 mi

Places to stay: Overture Maps (hotels, motels, inns, lodges, campgrounds, RV parks; not vacation rentals) · roads: Overture Maps / OpenStreetMap contributors · park boundary: National Park Service · town figures: U.S. Census ACS · Safety: TownRatings Safety grade · airports: OurAirports. Distances are from Fort Union National Monument Visitor Center; drive times are estimates.

Make a day of it

What else is near Fort Union

All of these are within 70 miles.

50 mi MountainWheeler Peak

69 mi LakeBlue Hole

54 mi MuseumGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum

45 mi National Historical ParkPecos National Historical Park37K visitors a year

44 mi Ski areaSki Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q3855588 runs · 1,753 ft vertical

54 mi Park & preserveSanta Fe Plaza 35 mi Ski areaAngel Fire Resort101 runs · 2,205 ft vertical 52 mi Ski areaTaos Ski Valley103 runs · 2,468 ft vertical

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Wheeler Peak: Davishan99, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Hole: Autopilot, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: John Phelan, CC BY 3.0 · Pecos National Historical Park: Mosamiazaz at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Ski Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q38555: Ybratcher, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Santa Fe Plaza: See above, CC BY 2.0

Visitors

7,813 people came in 2025

See how visits changed from 2016 to 2025.

Every full year the Park Service has counted. 2020 (gold) was the pandemic year. Green is the record (2021). National Park Service visitor use statistics, recreation visits by calendar year.

Common questions

Fort Union: common questions

What town is Fort Union National Monument near?

Mora, NM, about 18 miles west.

When is the best time to visit Fort Union National Monument?

June, July, August and September, with highs of 75–83°. June is the busiest month (about 1,009 visitors).

How many people visit Fort Union National Monument each year?

7,813 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 12,618, set in 2021.

What is the closest airport to Fort Union National Monument?

Taos Regional (TSM), about 53 miles away. The nearest big hub is Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), about 108 miles.

Where should I stay near Fort Union National Monument?

Las Vegas (24 mi, 21 places to stay) and Angel Fire (36 mi, 22 places to stay).

From locals

From people who live in Mora

Tips will appear here once someone posts in Mora’s Town Square.

When do you go to beat the crowds at Fort Union? Where do you eat after a visit to Fort Union? Is Fort Union worth it with small kids? What do visitors to Fort Union usually miss?

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.