1717 Spanish Church at Pecos National Historical Park
PARK OVERVIEW
Pecos National Historical Park in Pecos, New Mexico, preserves multiple archeological sites of historical significance around Pecos and Glorieta Pass. Encompassing an area of almost 6,700 acres, the park includes the ruins of the Pecos Pueblo and an 18th-century Spanish Mission Church, the Glorieta Pass Battlefield of the American Civil War, and the Forked Lightning Ranch, which was once owned by Hollywood movie star Greer Garson. When established by Congress and signed into law on June 28, 1965, by Lyndon B. Johnson, the park was called Pecos National Monument. It was redesignated Pecos National Historical Park in 1990 when the battlefield and the ranch were acquired.
Ruins of the Pecos Pueblo at Pecos National Historical Park
Begin your visit to the park by stopping at the Visitor Center to pick up a park brochure, browse through the museum, and watch the park film. Afterwards, take a guided or self-guided tour of the Pecos Pueblo and Spanish Mission Church. Visiting the Civil War battlefield entails hiking the Glorieta Pass Battlefield Trail. A Ranger-guided tour is the only way to see the Forked Lightning Ranch, though the adjacent Trading Post and a hiking trail around the ranch’s pasture are accessible without a guide.
OPERATING HOURS AND FEES
The grounds of Pecos National Historical Park, which include the Pecos Pueblo, Spanish Mission Church, Glorieta Pass Battlefield, and Forked Lighting Ranch’s South Pasture Trail, are open every day from 8 AM to 4:30 PM except when closed for New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Visitor Center hours change based on the season, but it is typically open year-round at least from 9 AM to 4 PM. It opens a half hour earlier from May through October.
Forked Lighting Ranch Tours are given April through October on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The ranch house is closed to the public at all other times.
The Trading Post is typically open whenever Forked Lightning Ranch Tours are given, but it is open the public without attending a tour.
Keep in mind that times can always change, so be sure to check the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the latest schedule.
FEES
There are no fees to visit Pecos National Historical Park.
SCHEDULING YOUR TIME
Visitor Center
Allow 30 to 45 minutes
Pecos Pueblo and Spanish Mission Church
Allow 1 hour
Forked Lightning Ranch Tour
Allow 2 hours
Trading Post
Allow 30 minutes
Glorieta Pass Battlefield
Allow 1.5 hours
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Last updated on August 7, 2026
