Even though Texans declared themselves an independent country after defeating Santa Anna’s army in 1836, the Republic of Texas was never recognized by Mexico. In 1845 the US annexed Texas as the 28th state in the Union and President Polk ordered General Taylor and his forces south to the Rio Grande into territory that Mexico claimed as theirs. On April 25, 1846 the US army was attacked by the Mexican army at Palo Alto which started the two year long Mexican-American War. The war ended with the defeat of Mexico and the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The US gained a large amount of very valuable land – Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California and half of Colorado.
The historic park contains the entire battlefield and has a trail with interpretive signs. A short video is shown at the visitor center and exhibits explain the causes and results of the war.
The visitor center is accessible. The 1.5 mile round-trip battlefield trail is paved and level.
The parking lot has spaces for RVs.
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