Pancho Villa State Park sits at the edge of Columbus, New Mexico, just three miles from the Mexican border — a small park with an outsized story. This is where Pancho Villa led roughly 500 raiders across the border in March 1916, marking the last armed invasion of the continental United States. The retaliatory Punitive Expedition that followed, led by General John J. Pershing, reshaped American military history and set the stage for U.S. involvement in World War I.

The park’s 60 acres preserve the remains of Camp Furlong, the U.S. Army post that bore the brunt of the raid. Visitors can explore the original 1902 U.S. Customs House, now a museum with artifacts from both sides of the border, and walk among the adobe ruins where soldiers once garrisoned. The park’s desert botanical garden showcases native Chihuahuan Desert plants, including ocotillo, creosote, and several species of cactus — a quiet contrast to the area’s dramatic past.

Camping is available with both developed and primitive sites, and the remote location means dark skies that rival anywhere in the Southwest. Birdwatchers will find the park surprisingly productive, sitting along migratory corridors between the U.S. and Mexico.

Visit between October and April to avoid the intense summer heat. Spring mornings bring wildflowers to the surrounding desert flats. The nearby Columbus port of entry makes a day trip into Palomas, Mexico, an easy addition to any visit. History, solitude, and borderland culture converge here unlike anywhere else in New Mexico.

Explore Nearby

• Cinder Cone Wilderness Area — Public Land in New Mexico
• Potrillo Mountains Wilderness Area — Public Land in New Mexico
• El Camino Real National Scenic Byway — Scenic Byway in New Mexico
• Geronimo Trail National Scenic Byway — Scenic Byway in New Mexico