We revisited Mason's Fort. After nearly twenty years it still looks pretty much the same. The corner of the wall along the draw has lost a few more stones. The adobe walls are a little lower. I noticed many little holes all over the grounds, and finally clicked on that they are probably from metal detecting hobbyists. I'm not sure if it's legal at this spot at all. I'm going to say that it's probably illegal to keep anything that you find.
There are some histories out there of this "fort." I'm not going to repeat them here, but they do make for interesting reading. Recently I've read that it was not associated with the original Butterfield Trail, which I had indicated in my original blog, but I couldn't verify this through any of the other sources available. It probably only takes about 40 minutes to get there from Las Cruces and although you can't drive right up to the fort, it is a very short walk after parking, so go check it out if you've got a morning or afternoon free for another impossibly lonely and forgotten place.
Hi Devon. Do you have directions to this one? My friend and I have done a lot of exploring Butterfield Stage sites in both New Mexico and West Texas. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteJust past Rough and Ready Gap, take a left onto the second county road ( there are two roads right next to each other, take the second or else you will have to open a gate). In a little less than .5 miles turn right onto County Do-11. In 1.6 miles stay left. onto County Road D-010 ( Don't miss this turn that isn't quite a turn). In about 2.6 miles turn left at the intersection of County road D-006. In about 2.6 miles, turn left onto county road C-008. Drive 1.4 miles. There is a gate in the fence here. Go slow as you approach, otherwise it's easy to drive right past it. The gate is kind of hard to open and the last time I was here ( in October) the entrance from the road was very rough. So I recommend walking from this point. It's about a 1/2 mile to the west.Just follow the old road to Masons Draw. You will see the ruins on the opposite bank. This place is a long way from anywhere. It is also on NM State Trust Land which requires a permit. Good Luck !
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