Pecos National Historical Park

About

Pecos National Historical Park sits in the Pecos River valley in northern New Mexico, about 25 miles southeast of Santa Fe. The park protects the ruins of Pecos Pueblo, a trading village occupied for more than 500 years, along with the remains of two Spanish colonial mission churches built on the same rise. A separate unit of the park preserves part of the Glorieta Pass battlefield, where Union and Confederate troops fought a turning-point Civil War engagement in 1862, and a stretch of the old Santa Fe Trail crosses the property.

Most visits start at the visitor center, which has exhibits on Pueblo, Spanish colonial and ranching history and a short film. From there, the Ancestral Sites Trail is a 1.25 mile loop of packed earth and light gravel that passes the pueblo mounds, a kiva, and the mission church ruins, with a 6 to 8 percent grade between some of the interpretive stops. The Glorieta Battlefield unit, reached from a separate access point off I-25, has its own trail through the Civil War site and is normally open only with a ranger-led tour.

The park sits just outside the community of Pecos, New Mexico, along the old Santa Fe Trail corridor. Santa Fe is the nearest city with lodging, restaurants and an airport, and the drive follows US 84/285 and NM 63 through the Pecos River valley. The Pecos Wilderness and Santa Fe National Forest lie to the north for visitors continuing into the mountains.

Hours and entrance fees change by season, so check the park's current schedule before a trip. Plan on an hour for the visitor center and exhibits, and another hour or two for the Ancestral Sites loop if you walk the full 1.25 miles.

Accessibility

Pecos National Historical Park is accessible in parts. The visitor center is step-free and paved, but the main ruins trail has gravel sections and grade changes that some wheelchair and scooter users will find difficult.

Parking: two accessible spaces for standard vehicles are at the visitor center lot and two more at the Church parking area, with oversized spaces for vans, buses and RVs at both.

Entrance: the visitor center has no stairs and needs no ramp; the paved approach walkways have no steep inclines.

Getting around: the Ancestral Sites Trail is a 1.25 mile loop of packed earth and light gravel with a 6 to 8 percent grade between some stops, and the park says it may not be completely accessible. On the separate Civil War Battlefield Trail, a quarter mile section from the trailhead is hard-packed earth with light gravel and a slight grade, though the park notes this section is damaged in some places.

Restrooms: accessible restrooms are at the visitor center and at both the start and end of the Ancestral Sites Trail.

Services: the visitor center loans one wheelchair at no charge, on request at the front desk. Assistive listening devices that play audio descriptions of trail signs and features cover the full 1.25 mile loop, and a Braille pamphlet can be requested in person or downloaded in Braille Ready Format. Service animals are welcome on all trails and inside buildings, on leash or harness.

Tips: call the visitor center ahead of a visit that depends on the wheelchair loan, the assistive listening devices, or the damaged section of the Civil War trail, since availability and trail conditions can change.

Checked by Accessible America, August 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in New Mexico

• Valles Caldera National Preserve (Jemez Springs)
• National Museum of Nuclear Science & History (Albuquerque)
• Chaco Culture National Historical Park (Nageezi)
• Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (Albuquerque)
• Aztec Ruins National Monument (Aztec)
• Capulin Volcano National Monument (Capulin)

Photo credits

• The adobe ruins of the Pecos mission church rise against a wide New Mexico sky.: Amarie0x, CC0 (source)
• Adobe ruins of the Pecos mission church rise behind a wooden picket fence and stone walls.: Sally Deluca, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
• Pecos National Historical Park official National Park Service image: National Park Service, Public domain (U.S. National Park Service)
• A wooden fence lines the path leading toward the Pecos mission church ruins.: Sally Deluca, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
• A stone circle and wooden roof posts mark an excavated kiva overlooking the Pecos valley.: Judyt57, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
• A circular stone kiva sits amid the grassy ruins landscape at Pecos National Historical Park.: Amarie0x, CC0 (source)
• The sunlit adobe wall of the Pecos mission church shows a window opening and rows of viga holes.: Ssewald, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)