De Baca County: Billy the Kid, the Pecos, and memorial sites

For a trip to De Baca County, Fort Sumner offers a specific historical focus: the stories of Billy the Kid, memorial sites, and the Pecos River come together here. The sites are quite different—from museum exhibits and architectural history to historic places along the river.

Historic Sites in Fort Sumner

The Billy the Kid Museum is located in Fort Sumner on Highway 60-84, two miles east of downtown. The collection includes Billy the Kid’s rifle, chaps, spurs, the original wanted poster, and locks of his hair. The museum also displays more than 150 firearms of various ages.

The story of Billy the Kid also connects the museum and the cemetery: Sheriff Pat Garrett killed him; he was buried at the old Fort Sumner military cemetery between his companions Tom O’Folliard and Charlie Bowdre. Visiting the grave is free. Check visiting conditions before your trip.

Other historic landmarks offer different points of interest. The De Baca County Courthouse in Fort Sumner is designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. A marker identifies the site of the Maxwell House. In February 1971, a Traveler’s Shrine was established in Fort Sumner with a Blessing Way ceremony and stones from home. Architecture, a marked site, and a shrine dedicated with a specific ceremony thus represent different traces of the town’s history.

Bosque Redondo: History and Orientation

The history of Bosque Redondo also includes the forced removal and internment of Indigenous communities. In 1863, about 10,000 Navajos were forced to make the 450-mile “Long Walk” across New Mexico to the Bosque Redondo Reservation, H’weeldi; hundreds of Mescalero Apaches were also interned there. These events represent a different historical focus from the personal memorial sites associated with Billy the Kid.

The Bosque Redondo Memorial visitor parking lot has two designated accessible parking spaces. Two accessible parking areas are located near the site of the old fort at the memorial. Check this current information before driving there.

The Pecos River and Sumner Lake

Sumner Lake lies at the confluence of the Pecos River and Alamogordo Creek. The Pecos River flows from the base of Sumner Dam for about 250 yards within the park boundary before entering private ranchland. This gives a sense of two distinct geographical features: the confluence at the lake and the transition from the park boundary to private land along the river. In Fort Sumner, you can walk along the historic Pecos River.

Trails and Annual Event

The 0.35-mile Discovery Trail connects the visitor center with the overlook to the south. The 1.7-mile Fox Run Trail begins near the Eastside Campground and loops around a narrow arm of the lake. The two trail descriptions differ both in length and route: the Discovery Trail is the shorter connection to the overlook, while Fox Run loops around the narrow arm of the lake.

The Bosque Redondo Memorial Fiber Fair is held annually, and food is also available. If you want to plan your trip around the event, check the dates in advance.

Transportation History

In the 1920s, an airfield was built in Fort Sumner as part of a transcontinental air passenger network. The plans fell through during the Great Depression, and the airfield was later abandoned. Fort Sumner Municipal Airport was selected as a launch site for NASA’s high-altitude balloon program. These milestones add earlier aviation plans and an unusual use of the airport to the town’s history.

Several distinct themes are therefore available to guide your trip planning: Billy the Kid and historic memorial sites, the history of Bosque Redondo, and the Pecos River and the trails described here. The annual Fiber Fair is another possible reason to visit; be sure to check its exact dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Fort Sumner, Taos, McKinley County, Hidalgo County, Valencia, Los Alamos, Colfax, Grant County.

For the broader travel overview: New Mexico.