Billy the Kid Trail
Lincoln, NM

Lincoln is a village forgotten by time. The town's only street is lined with adobe homes and buildings dating from its colorful and often violent past. However, it wasn't always so peaceful. Gunshots often echoed in the surrounding hills during Lincoln's territorial days, some fired by the infamous outlaw William Bonney (Billy the Kid). Today's visitors can see the Old Lincoln County Courthouse Museum and walk in the footsteps of Pat Garrett, Billy the Kid, and other characters of the West.

Because it looks much as it did just over one century ago, it isn't hard to picture the Kid's escape from the courthouse jail, the shootouts, and the more peaceful inhabitants taking cover as bullets flew. The Tunstall Store, where the leader of one of the legendary Lincoln County War factions had his business, still displays 19th Century merchandise on its shelves. Other historic sites include the old San Juan Church, the Montano Store, a frontier doctor's office, and historic buildings in the community.