Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
On May 8, 1846, U.S. and Mexican troops clashed on the prairie of Palo Alto. The battle was the first in a two-year long war that changed the map of North America. Although the two countries have developed strong bonds and friendly ties since the war ended in 1848, these neighbors continue to contend with the legacy of the war.
Alerts
- InformationHike and Bike Closure
The historic battlefield trail hike and bike trail gate closes daily at sunset and reopens the next morning.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Palo Alto Battlefield | Daily · 8:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Resaca de la Palma Battlefield Unit | Varies by day ▾
|
Palo Alto Battlefield: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 8:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
When to go
February draws the most visits here and August the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Palo Alto Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The visitor center features an exhibit area features interactive exhibits, artifacts, and Mexican War era military uniforms. The center also offers a 15-minute video—"War on the Rio Grande.” The video gives an overview of the war and is available in English and Spanish.
Explore
Things to do
- Visit Resaca de la Palma Battlefield30-120 Minutes
Resaca de la Palma Battlefield features a half-mile circular trail with interpretive waysides. Head out to the observation deck on the resaca and experience why resacas make Brownsville, TX such a special place.
Opens on the Park Service site - See Where it All Started - Rancho de Carricitos10-20 Minutes
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visiting Fort Polk30 Minutes
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Stand on the Grounds of General Zachary Taylor's Fort on the Rio Grande15-30 Minutes
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Self-guided Field Trips at Palo Alto Battlefield30 Minutes
Take your teaching to the next level and make Palo Alto Battlefield your classroom. Visiting the site of the first major battle of the U.S.-Mexican War provides you and your students with an invaluable learning experience.
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore the Brownsville Historic Battlefield Trail1-4 Hours
Palo Alto Battlefield serves as a gateway to the Brownsville Historic Battlefield Trail. The trail provides users a healthy way to explore Brownsville, TX and some of its historic sites and attractions.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 10Hide
- Discover Palo Alto Battlefield’s Visitor Center30-60 Minutes
Palo Alto Battlefield's visitor center offers indoor and outdoor exhibits. A good place to start is with our 15-minute video—"War on the Rio Grande." The video is available in English and Spanish.
Opens on the Park Service site - Birding at Resaca de la Palma Battlefield30 Minutes
With almost a mile of walking trails plus a deck over the water, Resca de la Palma Battlefield is a great place for birding.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hiking the Battlefield Trail45-90 Minutes
Walk in the footsteps of history! Along your half-mile walk you will see a landscape very much like the one experienced by soldiers in 1846.
Opens on the Park Service site - Birding at Palo Alto Battlefield30-60 Minutes
Grab a pair of binoculars, hit the trail, and see what makes Palo Alto Battlefield a birding hotspot.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Living History Program11/1410:00 AM · free
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- McNair HouseBuilding · Brownsville · 7.6 mi
- M.E. and Estela Cueto Garcia HouseBuilding · Brownsville · 7.8 mi
- Hicks-Gregg HouseBuilding · Brownsville · 8 mi
- Lillian and George K. Aziz Essey HouseBuilding · Brownsville · 8.1 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for Texas's national parks and the Southwest
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBelted Kingfisher 3× · Green Kingfisher 3× · Greater Roadrunner 2× · Swan Goose 1× · Bobcat 1× · Eastern Fox Squirrel 1× · Osprey 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 141 birds, 18 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Aplomado Falcon · Barn Owl · Black Vulture · Cooper's Hawk · Crested Caracara · Eastern Screech-Owl · Ferruginous Hawk · Great Horned Owl · Harris's Hawk · Hen Harrier · Merlin · Osprey · Red-tailed Hawk · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture · White-tailed Hawk · White-tailed Kite
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Coot · American White Ibis · American White Pelican · American Wigeon · Black-bellied Whistling Duck · Blue-winged Teal · Double-crested Cormorant · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Hooded Merganser · King Rail · Least Grebe · Little Blue Heron · Mangrove Rail · Mottled Duck · Muscovy Duck · Pied-billed Grebe · Snowy Egret · Tricolored Heron · White-faced Ibis · Wood Stork · Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Shorebirds & seabirdsBaird's Sandpiper · European Herring Gull · Greater Yellowlegs · Gull-billed Tern · Killdeer · Laughing Gull · Least Tern · Lesser Yellowlegs · Long-billed Curlew · Ring-billed Gull · Willet · Wilson's Plover
Gamebirds & dovesCommon Ground Dove · Mourning Dove · Northern Bobwhite · Plain Chachalaca · White-tipped Dove · White-winged Dove
WoodpeckersGolden-fronted Woodpecker · Ladder-backed Woodpecker · Northern Flicker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift
Also on the checklistAltamira Oriole · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Barn Swallow · Bewick's Wren · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-crested Titmouse · Black-necked Stilt · Black-throated Sparrow · Blue Grosbeak · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Bronzed Cowbird · Brown-crested Flycatcher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Cactus Wren · Carolina Wren · Cassin's Sparrow · Chihuahuan Raven · Chipping Sparrow · Clay-colored Sparrow · Cliff Swallow · Common (Brownsville) Yellowthroat · Common Nighthawk · Common Pauraque · Common Starling · Couch's Kingbird · Curve-billed Thrasher · Dickcissel · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Wood Pewee · Grasshopper Sparrow · Great Kiskadee · Great-tailed Grackle · Greater Roadrunner · Green Jay · Groove-billed Ani · Hooded Oriole · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Least Flycatcher · Lesser Goldfinch · Lesser Nighthawk · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Long-billed Thrasher · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Shoveler · Olive Sparrow · Painted Bunting · Purple Martin · Pyrrhuloxia · Red-winged Blackbird · Ringed Kingfisher · Roseate Spoonbill · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Savannah Sparrow · Scissor-tailed Flycatcher · Song Sparrow · Sora · Texas Botteri's Sparrow · Tree Swallow · Tropical Kingbird · Tufted Titmouse · Varied Bunting · Verdin · Vermilion Flycatcher · Vesper Sparrow · Whimbrel · Whip-poor-will · White-eyed Vireo · Yellow-billed cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat
Small mammalsBlack Rat · Black-tailed Jack Rabbit · Brown Rat · Eastern Cottontail · Hispid Cotton Rat · Mexican Ground Squirrel · Southern Plains Woodrat · White-footed Deermouse
PredatorsBobcat · Coyote · Long-tailed Weasel · Striped Skunk · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalscollared peccary
BatsBrazilian Free-tailed Bat
Also on the checklistEurasian Wild Pig · blue bull · long-nosed armadillo
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 16 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Summers are hot and humid. Tropical weather systems generally affect the area from August to October. Winters are usually mild but cold fronts can drop temperatures by up to 30 degrees in about an hour.
Questions people ask
Does Palo Alto Battlefield charge an entrance fee?
No. Palo Alto Battlefield is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Palo Alto Battlefield?
Standard hours are 8:00AM - 5:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Palo Alto Battlefield right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Hike and Bike Closure.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Palo Alto Battlefield?
168,550 recreation visits in 2025, number 183 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Palo Alto Battlefield?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Palo Alto Battlefield established?
1978.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Palo Alto Battlefield?
Summers are hot and humid. Tropical weather systems generally affect the area from August to October.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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