Trip Idea
Mexican War Sites Driving Tour

Duration | Full Day |
Topic(s) | Military, Battlefields, Monuments and Memorials, Mexican War, Forts, US Army, Maritime, Lighthouses, Westward Expansion more » |
Activities | Self-Guided Tours - Walking |
Type | Road Trip |
Parks | Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park |
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Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
Visiting Fort Polk
- Activity Fee: Yes
- Reservations: Yes
- Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Pets: Yes
- Location: Fort Polk
- Duration: 30 Minutes
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Day
When the U.S. army arrived in the Rio Grande delta in March 1846, General Taylor’s first stop was to establish a base that would allow him to receive reinforcements and materiel. He selected the Mexican settlement known as El Frontón de Santa Isabel.
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Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
See Where it All Started - Rancho de Carricitos
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: No
- Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Pets: Yes
- Duration: 10–20 Minutes
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Day
Visit the site of the first official combat between of the U.S. - Mexican War. On April 24, 1846 Captain Seth Thornton and his 80 dragoons were ambushed by General Anastasio Torrejón and his 1,600 cavalry and infantry troops at Rancho de Carricitos. News of the skirmish was forwarded to President James K. Polk leading him to declare Mexico "has invaded our territory, and shed American blood upon the American soil."
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Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
Stand on the Grounds of General Zachary Taylor's Fort on the Rio Grande
- Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
- Reservations: Yes
- Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Pets: Yes
- Duration: 15–30 Minutes
- Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Time of Day: Any Time
Visit the site of the earthen fortification that became known as Fort Brown. While visiting this site you can see historical markers and even what is left of one of the fort’s bastions. The campus of UTRGV near the Mexican War era Fort Brown site is also home to several post-Mexican War buildings.
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Last updated: October 6, 2020