Vantage Point: Port of Entry

Bridge of the Americas port of entry

Quick Facts

Location:

Unmarked location along the east side of the inner loop trail

Significance:

Vantage point of the Bridge of the Americas port of entry

Amenities

2 listed

Pets Allowed, Wheelchair Accessible

The Bridge of the Americas port of entry, which is visible from this location, was built on the northeastern corner of Cordova Island after it was transferred to the United States. Chamizal National Memorial occupies another 55 acres of what was formerly the northern part of Cordova Island. The remaining land that the Chamizal Treaty transferred to the United States was used to build the new Bowie High School on the west side of the park. The relocated river channel cut through the campus of the school at its former location, where Guillen Middle School is today.

Have you spotted La Equis from the park trails? La Equis is the unique, red, X-shaped building in Ciudad Juárez. It serves as a reference point to mark the easternmost corner of the Cordova Gardens neighborhood that was transferred to Mexico. 

For being such a tall and visible structure, it’s not always clear which side of the border La Equis is on. The giant X seems to shift in the distance depending on where you stand or where you’re driving on the roadway along the border fence. It’s a good reminder that sometimes even a well-marked border can have some ambiguity, an x-factor that’s hard to pin down.