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Border Field State Park History


Monument Mesa in 2000 before the triple border fence was constructed. (CONCUR, 2000)

The original idea behind the creation an "international park" at Border Field had been to establish a place "to bring together people and events from both the United States and Mexico." A pedestrian crossing gate was established at the border monument and many visitors walked into Mexico to shop and eat at restaurants. The beach was quite beautiful and a main attraction. It was common for visitors to rent horses at one of the many equestrian ranches in the valley and ride to the beach at Border Field. The park was also a popular destination for young people on bicycles. The dream of an international park, however, was never fully realized. There was little development on the Mexican side of the monument. Since the 1980s environmental degradation, along with increased border security, has had a negative impact on Border Field. Silt, trash and polluted water are regularly washed into the area by the river and the drainage at Goat Canyon. Floods also closed access to the park for weeks at a time. As a result of increased border security brought about by the U.S. Government's Operation Gate Keeper in the 1990s, the pedestrian crossing at the monument has also been closed. (Van Wormer, 2005.)


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