Union County
Capulin Volcano National Monument
photo by Laurence Parent
In the far northeast corner of New Mexico lies Union County. Bordering the Colorado, Texas and the Oklahoma panhandle, Union County is home to national grasslands, large ranches and dinosaur tracks. The county's largest city, Clayton, offers golf, parks, museums and the Union County Fairgrounds. Nearby attractions include sites along the Historic Santa Fe Trail, Outlaw Black Jack Ketchum's gravesite and the Kiowa National Grasslands. Folsom, site of the discovery of Folsom Man from ca. 12,000 BC, lies between Clayton and Raton. Capulin Volcano National Monument offers views of New Mexico and parts of four contiguous states: Kansas, Texas, Colorado and Oklahoma.
More than 500 dinosaur tracks were discovered at Clayton Lake State Park in the early 1980s. Their age is estimated at 100 million years, in the late age of dinosaurs. Every April, dinosaur days are held in Clayton. An arts festival takes place each October and the city hosts the Union County Fair in August of each year.
Fast Facts
County Seat
Communities
- East Union
- West Union
- South Union
Land area
- 4,717 square miles
Climate
At 5,050 feet in elevation, Union County offers a moderate climate with warm summers and snow in winter.
County Population
- 2004: 3,827
Economy
- Average per capita income, 2002: $24,751
- Median household income, 2000: $28,080
Driving Tours around Union County
Santa Fe Trail Scenic Byway
During its colorful history, the Santa Fe Trail was used by traders and merchants, mountain men, gold seekers, military expeditions, immigrants and a few early-day tourists. Follow the old Santa Fe Trail and honor the thousands of men and women who bravely pioneered across the unknown plains in modern-day Union, Colfax, Mora and San Miguel counties.
La Frontera del Llano
When the railroads began settlement of the West, homesteaders flocked to remote Harding County and Southern Union County until the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years crushed their dreams. The county is rich in history and has geography that includes mesas, grasslands, plains and rivers. Of particular scenic interest are the spectacular Canadian River Canyon and Kiowa National Grasslands.
