Columbus, New Mexico, marks the spot of Pancho Villa's bold 1916 raid, the first armed invasion of U.S. soil since the War of 1812. Pitch your RV at Pancho Villa State Park from $15 a night or Columbus RV Park from $13, both steps from the historic border town. Camp here to hike raid trails, cross into Mexico, and soak up Wild West echoes under wide desert skies.
Columbus hugs the U.S.-Mexico border in Luna County, where Pancho Villa stormed across on March 9, 1916, with 500 revolutionaries. Bullets flew through the village streets; 18 Americans died before U.S. troops chased Villa into the mountains. Walk the Pancho Villa Raid Historic Site today, inspect adobe ruins at the state park, peer over the fence at Palomas, Mexico, and join annual raid reenactments each March.
Pancho Villa State Park draws history seekers and anglers with shaded sites beside a spring-fed lake, perfect for quiet reflection on border lore. Columbus RV Park fits thrifty road trippers with WiFi, thirty-amp hookups, a dump station, and pets allowed, ideal as a launchpad for day trips to Deming or the bootheel badlands.
More RV destinations in New Mexico
Columbus stands out for Pancho Villa's 1916 raid, the last foreign attack on the continental U.S. Five hundred horsemen crossed the border at dawn, sacked the town, and killed 18 residents. The Army's Punitive Expedition followed Villa into Mexico for a year. Today, the state park preserves adobe buildings, a museum with raid artifacts, and annual March commemorations that draw crowds.
Pancho Villa State Park and Columbus RV Park top the list right in town. Pancho Villa offers lakefront sites from $15/night near historic trails. Columbus RV Park starts at $13/night with WiFi, thirty-amp hookups, dump station, and pet allowances, just blocks from the border crossing.
Yes, Columbus RV Park welcomes pets alongside its WiFi, thirty-amp service, and dump station. Pancho Villa State Park also allows leashed pets on sites and trails. Both spots keep furry companions happy while you explore the raid historic district or cross to Mexico.