New Mexico

America’s most unique Airbnbs: From a secluded lighthouse on an Alaskan island to a sprawling 3,000-sq-ft home inside a cave in Arizona and a secret bunker buried 186ft-deep in a missile silo in New Mexico

Published

2 years ago

January 28, 2024

America’s most unique Airbnbs: From a secluded lighthouse on an Alaskan island to a sprawling 3,000-sq-ft home inside a cave in Arizona and a secret bunker buried 186ft-deep in a missile silo in New Mexico

Airbnb changed the vacation game when they emerged 15 years ago and now ambitious hosts are getting creative with their properties to appeal to holiday-makers seeking unique experiences.

From a secluded lighthouse on an Alaskan island, to a sprawling 3,000-sq-ft home inside a cave in Arizona and a 186ft-deep missile silo in New Mexico, home owners are pushing the boundaries to get listed as ‘super hosts’.

The website even has specific categories for ‘earth homes’ – hobbit-style properties – windmills, shepherd’s huts, caves, barns and towers, to cater to the specific demands of tourists.

Here DailyMail.com takes a look at some of the most bizarre and magnificent homes across the States.

Alaska

For $900 a night, you can stay in The Lighthouse, an Airbnb in Alaska that sleeps up to six people and offers 1.5 bathrooms.

The Lighthouse was constructed in 1983 by a local veterinarian called Burgess Bauder – who spent 18 months doing the heavy lifting to build the property by himself.

It sits on the high point of a one-acre private island in Sitka.

The main level has a full kitchen, living room, dining room and a full deck that wraps around the entire property while the bedrooms sit on the second and third floor.

‘It’s an idyllic place to relax, read, do a little yoga or just cast your eyes out for whales and other wildlife,’ the Airbnb page reads.

For $900 a night, you can stay in The Lighthouse, an Airbnb in Alaska that sleeps up to six people and offers 1.5 bathrooms

The Lighthouse was first built in 1983 by a local veterinarian called Burgess Bauder – who spent 18 months doing the heavy lifting to build property by himself

It sits on the high point of a one-acre private island in Sitka

‘It’s an idyllic place to relax, read, do a little yoga or just cast your eyes out for whales and other wildlife,’ the Airbnb page reads

The main level has a full kitchen, living room, dining room and a full deck that wraps around the entire property while the bedrooms sit on the second and third floor

Arizona

Arizona’s Canyon Cavehouse is a wildly unique property that is literally a cave settled in the Mule Mountains of Brisbee.

The $1,620-a-night experience includes the entire cave house, a stunning patio, pool areas and plenty of hiking paths surrounding it.

There is one catch – because of its cave location, there is no cell phone service or WiFi inside the house.

Sitting at an altitude of 5,300ft, the 3,000-sq-ft home was built in 1985 and took 15 years to construct because of its remote and inaccessible location.

While the Airbnb only has three customer reviews, they’re all glowing with five stars in every category. ‘Amazing cave house, gorgeously constructed and simply breathtaking piece of history,’ a guest shared.

Arizona ‘s Canyon Cavehouse is a wildly unique property that is literally a cave settled in the Mule Mountains of Brisbee

The $1,620-a-night experience includes the entire cave house, a stunning patio, pool areas and plenty of hiking paths surrounding it

There is one catch – because of its cave location, there is no cell phone service or WiFi inside the house

Sitting at an altitude of 5,300ft, the 3,000-sq-ft home was built in 1985 and took 15 years to construct because of its remote and inaccessible location

California

The Pinecone Treehouse in Santa Cruz, California, is a breathtaking property majestically propped amongst the redwood forests of Bonny Doon.

Described as ‘a space created to tap into your higher self, a space to rediscover your inner calm,’ the treehouse costs $650-a-night, plus $206 in fees, and can sleep two guests.

The shiny golden structure is perched 35ft in the air with only a narrow wooden ladder leading up to the single-room ‘house’.

Guests of the Pinecone raved about their stay, describing it as ‘special,’ ‘unique’ and an ‘unbelievable experience’ – which is why the Airbnb earned a score of 4.87 from its 230 reviewers.

The only catch of this beautiful experience is the lack of bathroom. Guests are required to make a short expedition across a catwalk bridge where there is running water, but no plumbed toilet.

The Pinecone Treehouse in Santa Cruz, California, is a breathtaking property majestically propped amongst the redwood forests of Bonny Doon

Described as ‘a space created to tap into your higher self, a space to rediscover your inner calm,’ the treehouse costs $614 a night and can sleep two guests

The shiny golden structure is perched 35 feet in the air with only a narrow wooden ladder leading up to the single-room ‘house’

The only catch of this beautiful experience is the lack of bathroom. Guests are required to make a short expedition across a catwalk bridge

The bathroom features running water but there is no plumbed toilet

Colorado

Colorado’s Pink Church Airbnb is located in the historic district of Leadville, nestled between Aspen and Breckenridge.

The 1888 pink church houses up to seven guests and charges $449 a night.

It features three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a fully stocked kitchen and offers guests a prime location that is walkable to everything in town.

The unique property even includes its own Tesla charger and a ‘luxury’ Aspen-style gas fireplace.

Though the Airbnb has only been reviewed by three guests, the reviews were glowing – with one visitor calling it ‘one of the coolest Vacation Rentals we have ever stayed in.’

Colorado’s Pink Church Airbnb is located in the historic district of Leadville – in between Aspen and Breckenridge

The 1888 pink church houses up to seven guests and charges $449 a night

It features a three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a fully stocked kitchen and offers guests a prime location that is walkable to everything in town

The unique property even includes its own Tesla charger and a ‘luxury’ Aspen-style gas fireplace

Though the Airbnb has only been reviewed by three guests, the reviews were glowing

One visitor called it ‘one of the coolest Vacation Rentals we have ever stayed in’

Florida

Florida’s unique Space Ship Airbnb is located in Lake Placid, Florida, and is a hit with guests, 171 of which have granted the rental 4.96 stars.

The dome-shaped property is full of fun alien references – with a special ‘galaxy arcade’ loft that is stocked with vintage gaming machines including Star Wars, Space Invaders, Terminator 2, Simpsons, Ms. Pac-Man, Tempest and Outrun Racing.

The house’s décor is entirely space-themed, with galaxy bed sheets, green and blue lighting throughout and even an alien shower curtain.

At $249 a night (plus an additional $200 in fees), this fun property can house up to 10 guests.

The hosts said that while the inside has endless entertainment opportunities, the outside of ‘Area 1609’ is peaceful and relaxing.

Florida’s unique Space Ship Airbnb is located in Lake Placid, Florida, and is a hit with guests, 171 of which have granted the rental 4.96 stars

The house’s décor is entirely space-themed, with galaxy bed sheets, green and blue lighting throughout and even an alien shower curtain

At $249 a night, this is a fun and reasonable property that can house up to 10 guests

The hosts said that while the inside is fun and the entertainment opportunities are endless, the outside of ‘Area 1609’ is peaceful and relaxing

Georgia

The Glass Treehouse in Georgia is a stunning property showcasing fantastic architectural design in the state’s capital city of Atlanta.

At $250 a night, the one bedroom one bathroom home can sleep up to three guests and is conveniently close to downtown East Atlanta, Little Points and Grant Park Zoo.

Tons of natural light spills through the glass windows that spread from floor to ceiling and on the ground and roof of the house.

The astounding property is raised high up in the air and surrounded by mature hardwood trees.

The open plan home spans over two floors and is furnished with minimalist modern pieces.

The Glass Treehouse in Georgia is a stunning property showcasing fantastic architectural design in the state’s capital city of Atlanta

At $250 a night, the one bedroom one bathroom home can sleep up to three guests and is conveniently close to downtown East Atlanta, Little Points and Grant Park Zoo

Tons of natural light spills through the glass windows that spread from floor to ceiling and on the ground and roof of the house

The astounding property is raised high up in the air and surrounded by mature hardwood trees

The open plan home spans over two floors and is furnished with minimalist modern pieces

Idaho

The Big Idaho Potato Hotel in the Rocky Mountains state offers guests a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stay in a potato.

For $123 a night, up to two visitors can spend their trip to Boise, Idaho nestled in a giant cozy potato.

Recycled from the Idaho Potato Commission’s Big Idaho Potato Tour, the six-ton potato traveled on the back of a semi to (48) states for seven years.

The bizarre property was designed by Kristie Wolfe, a former Big Idaho Potato Tour spokesperson, to allow for stylish private comfort and amenities such as power outlets for your electronic devices, a mini fridge, old records to play and a custom-built bed.

The Airbnb has brought in 801 reviews so far which have granted the fun Idaho experience 4.9 stars overall.

The Big Idaho Potato Hotel in the Rocky Mountains state offers guests a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stay in a potato

For $123 a night, up to two visitors can spend their trip to Boise, Idaho nestled in a giant cozy potato

Recycled from the Idaho Potato Commission’s Big Idaho Potato Tour, the six-ton potato traveled on the back of a semi to (48) states for seven years

Missouri

The Silo in Bonne Terre, Missouri, offers guests of the Southeast city the very exclusive opportunity to stay in a silo.

Originally used to store agricultural materials, this tower has now been converted into a lakeside experience for up to five guests to enjoy.

The $204-a-night stay is described by hosts as ‘boho, industrial, farmhouse and luxury.’

The adorable property has custom bricks, 100-year-old logs, a custom architectural ceiling and even a walk-in marble shower.

There is also a two-story deck above a pond, a hammock, two swings and a claw foot tub.

The Silo in Bonne Terre, Missouri, offers guests of the Southeast city the very exclusive opportunity to stay in a silo

Originally used to store agricultural materials, this tower has now been converted into a lakeside experience for up to five guests to enjoy

The $204-a-night stay is described by hosts as ‘boho, industrial, farmhouse and luxury’

The adorable property has custom bricks, 100-year-old logs, a custom architectural ceiling and even a walk-in marble shower

There is also a two-story deck above a pond, a hammock, two swings and a claw foot tub

New Mexico

The Bunker in New Mexico is a bizarre underground property listed on Airbnb for $499 a night.

The missile base property is located in Roswell and offers guests a private apartment and a utility tunnel that leads to the Missile Silo which is more than 180ft deep.

Major construction works have transformed the former weapons system into an incredible underground home which offers a one-of-a-kind experience.

Guests’ stay includes an amazing tour, providing insight into the fascinating history of the property.

Over 350 guests have reviewed the Airbnb – giving it an extremely impressive score of 4.99 stars.

The Bunker in New Mexico is a bizarre underground property listed on Airbnb for $499 a night

The missile base property is located in Roswell and offers guests a private apartment and utility tunnel that leads to the Missile Silo which is nearly 186 feet deep

Major construction works have transformed the former weapons system into an incredible underground home which offers a one-of-a-kind experience

Guests’ stay includes an amazing tour, providing insight into the fascinating history of the property

Over 350 guests have reviewed the Airbnb – giving it an extremely impressive score of 4.99 stars

New York

The Highlands Castle in Bolton, New York, is a breathtaking mansion poised on a ‘graceful mountaintop’ overlooking Lake George.

At a whopping $1,790 a night, the stunning castle sleeps up to eight people, with two more castles on the property sleeping six and seven other guests. The fees for this property add up to an additional $1,070.

The castle features a Great Hall – which is the property’s ‘grandest’ room, featuring 25ft-high ceilings and 21 windows overlooking Lake George and the Adirondack Mountains.

Other rooms that the astounding property has to offer include a library, music room and outdoor terraces with spectacular views.

With five reviews so far, the property has earned 4.8 stars from its guests.

The Highlands Castle in Bolton, New York, is a breathtaking mansion poised on a ‘graceful mountaintop’ overlooking Lake George

At a whopping $1,790 a night, the stunning castle sleeps up to eight people, with two more castles on the property sleeping six and seven other guests

The castle features a Great Hall – which is the property’s ‘grandest’ room, featuring 25-feet-high ceilings and 21 windows overlooking Lake George and the Adirondack Mountains

Other rooms that the astounding property has to offer include a library, music room and outdoor terraces with spectacular views

With five reviews so far, the property has earned 4.8 stars from its guests

Oregon

The Tower in Oregon provides its guests with a wholesome nook nestled 40 feet in the air.

The property, which is located in Tiller, is known as Summit Prairie and is currently closed for the season, but usually costs $250 a night.

Surrounded by the Umpqua National Forest, the private and stunning tower grants guests with true peace and relaxation.

Although simple from the outside, the interior décor is charming and homely with plenty of wood and cozy places to sit and enjoy the panoramic views.

‘Kick back and relax, read a book, play a game (or three)… write in a journal, meditate… daydream in the hammocks down the hill… soak your cares away and relax in a secluded wood-fired, spring-fed hot tub… Even dance under the moon or sing to the stars,’ the website says.

The Tower in Oregon provides its guests with a wholesome nook nestled 40 feet in the air

The property, which is located in Tiller, is known as Summit Prairie and is currently closed for the season, but usually costs $250

Although simple from the outside, the interior décor of the property is charming and homely with plenty of wood and cozy places to sit and enjoy the panoramic views

Surrounded by the Umpqua National Forest, the private and stunning tower grants guests with true peace and relaxation

Pennsylvania

A Converted School Bus in Pennsylvania might not be everyone’s idea of a dream vacation destination, but over 226 guests have given this unique property an overall score of 4.83 stars.

The classic yellow school bus, which is set up in Pennsylvania’s Amish Country in Lancaster County, costs just $77 a night.

On the outside, it appears as just a school bus, but the inside is fully decked out with couches, a kitchen and a tiny bedroom.

Although the showers only have cold water, the property does feature a composting toilet.

Guests can enjoy the three dogs that run loose on the property as well as chickens and even two ponies.

A Converted School Bus in Pennsylvania might not be everyone’s idea of a dream vacation destination, but over 226 guests have given this unique property an overall score of 4.83 stars

The classic yellow school bus, which is set up in Pennsylvania’s Amish Country in Lancaster County, costs just $77 a night

On the outside, it appears as just a school bus, but the inside is fully decked out with couches, a kitchen and a tiny bedroom

Although the showers only have cold water, the property does feature a composting toilet. Guests can enjoy the three dogs that run loose on the property as well as chickens and even two ponies

Tennessee

A haunted castle in Knoxville, Tennessee, offers guests a very unique and spooky vacation experience.

The Williamswood Castle, which is close to downtown Knoxville, costs $379 per night.

‘Step back in time and become royalty by staying at Knoxville’s most unique estate – your very own castle only ten minutes from downtown,’ the website advertises. ‘Surrounded by 300 acres of Ijams Nature Center. Secret passage, towers, swords, armor, and magic abound!’

The house is decked out with dozens of pieces of antique furniture and even features its very own pub.

A haunted castle in Knoxville, Tennessee, offers guests a very unique and spooky vacation experience

The Williamswood Castle, which is close to downtown Knoxville, costs $379 per night

‘Step back in time and become royalty by staying at Knoxville’s most unique estate – your very own castle only ten minutes from downtown,’ the website advertises

‘Surrounded by 300 acres of Ijams Nature Center. Secret passage, towers, swords, armor, and magic abound!’

The house is decked out with dozens of pieces of antique furniture and even features its very own pub

Texas

The Nest is a one-of-a-kind rental property in Glen Rose, Texas.

The Airbnb is a human-sized bird’s nest, surrounded by wooden twigs and sparkling lights.

The cozy nook, described as ‘a hybrid cabin with features of both a treehouse and a bohemian bungalow,’ sleeps just two guests and costs $308 a night.

‘From the cover of nearby cedar and hardwoods, you are guaranteed a concert from our local birds and maybe even a gobble from the wild turkeys,’ the website says.

The property is a ‘guest favorite’ on Airbnb and has gained average reviews of 4.97 stars from 295 visitors.

The Nest is a one-of-a-kind rental property in Glen Rose, Texas

The Airbnb is a human-sized bird’s nest, surrounded by wooden twigs and sparkling lights

The cozy nook, described as ‘a hybrid cabin with features of both a treehouse and a bohemian bungalow,’ sleeps just two guests and costs $308 a night

‘From the cover of nearby cedar and hardwoods, you are guaranteed a concert from our local birds and maybe even a gobble from the wild turkeys,’ the website says

The property is a ‘guest favorite’ on Airbnb and has gained average reviews of 4.97 stars from 295 visitors

Utah

Utah’s Bedrock Homestead is an off-the-grid, sustainable Airbnb property lodged in an actual cave.

The unique cave property is created from the surrounding landscape of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

The secluded home is so private that the visitors even need four-wheel-drive vehicle to access it because of the dirt roads and one-mile-long driveway.

At $279 a night, the property sleeps up to six guests.

‘Enjoy your own private entrance, as well as balcony and BBQ. You’ll have a coffee maker and grinder, tea, hot water kettle, microwave, and paper goods,’ the Airbnb page advertises.

Utah’s Bedrock Homestead is an off-the-grid, sustainable Airbnb property lodged in an actual cave

The unique cave property is created from the surrounding landscape of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

The secluded home is so private that the visitors even need four-wheel-drive to access it because of the dirt roads and one-mile-long driveway

At $279 a night, the property sleeps up to six guests

‘Enjoy your own private entrance, as well as balcony and BBQ. You’ll have a coffee maker and grinder, tea, hot water kettle, microwave, and paper goods,’ the Airbnb page advertises

Vermont

Honey Pond Farm Estate is a fairytale property in Middletown Springs, Vermont, that sprawls over a whopping 575-acre private plot of land.

One night at Honey Pond will cost you a staggering $4,143, but the mansion-estate does sleep up to 15 guests.

The ‘recreational retreat’ Airbnb offers golf, tennis, bocce, paddle boats, kayaking, fishing, a full gym and over 10 miles of hiking trails which lead up to a mountaintop with spectacular views.

‘The centerpiece of this ultimate playground is the USGA-rated private golf course comprised of 3 greens, multiple fairways and 26 tees,’ the Airbnb page boasts.

There is even a wine cellar, game room, a wood burning pizza oven and eight golf carts to drive around the vast estate.

Honey Pond Farm Estate is a fairytale property in Middletown Springs, Vermont, that sprawls over a whopping 575-acre private plot of land

One night at Honey Pond will cost you a staggering $4,143, but the mansion-estate does sleep up to 15 guests

The ‘recreational retreat’ Airbnb offers golf, tennis, bocce, paddle boats, kayaking, fishing and a full gym

There is also over 10 miles of hiking trails which lead up to a mountaintop with spectacular views

There is even a wine cellar, game room, a wood burning pizza oven and eight golf carts to drive around the vast estate

‘The centerpiece of this ultimate playground is the USGA-rated private golf course comprised of 3 greens, multiple fairways & 26 tees,’ the Airbnb page boasts

Virginia

Apple Ridge Farm Caboose Bed & Breakfast is a renovated train perched on Copper Hill, Virginia.

‘Go back in time in this lovingly remodeled Norfolk & Western Caboose Car complete with a queen size bed, sleeper sofa, table for two, and bathroom,’ the Airbnb page says.

This unique B&B experience provides a complimentary breakfast, mountain beauty, over four miles of hiking trails, as well as many other outdoor areas to be enjoyed by guests.

All proceeds brought in from the $175-a-night Airbnb are donated to support Apple Ridge Farm, a non-profit with a mission of Helpings Kids Grow.

The quaint and wholesome ‘home’ is a hit with guests, earning a 4.93 star rating from more than 100 visitors.

Apple Ridge Farm Caboose Bed & Breakfast is a renovated train perching in Copper Hill, Virginia

‘Go back in time in this lovingly remodeled Norfolk & Western Caboose Car complete with a queen size bed, sleeper sofa, table for two, and bathroom,’ the Airbnb page says

This unique B&B experience provides a complimentary breakfast, mountain beauty, over four miles of hiking trails, as well as many other outdoor areas to be enjoyed by guests

All proceeds brought in from the $175-a-night Airbnb are donated to support Apple Ridge Farm, a non-profit with a mission of Helpings Kids Grow

The quaint and wholesome ‘home’ is a hit with guests, earning a 4.93 star review from over 100 visitors

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New Mexico

New Mexico prosecutors launch search of Jeffrey Epstein’s secluded former Zorro Ranch

Published

11 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

New Mexico prosecutors launch search of Jeffrey Epstein’s secluded former Zorro Ranch

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State investigators began searching a secluded ranch in New Mexico on Monday where financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein once entertained guests amid allegations that the property may have been used for sexual abuse and sex trafficking of young women.

The office of state Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced that the search was being done with the cooperation of the current ranch owners.

Torrez last month reopened an investigation of the ranch. New Mexico’s initial case was closed in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in New York, and state prosecutors say now that “revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination.”

Epstein purchased the sprawling Zorro Ranch in Stanley, New Mexico, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Santa Fe, in 1993 from former Democratic Gov. Bruce King and built a hilltop mansion with a private runway.

The property was sold by Epstein’s estate in 2023 — with proceeds going toward creditors — to the family of Don Huffines, a candidate in Texas for state comptroller who won the Republican primary last week.

“The New Mexico Department of Justice appreciates the cooperation of the current property owners,” the agency said in a statement. Prosecutors “will continue to keep the public appropriately informed, support the survivors, and follow the facts wherever they lead.”

Additionally, New Mexico state legislators have established a new commission to look into past activities at the ranch.

Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges that he sexually abused and trafficked dozens of underage girls.

Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, but the state attorney general’s office in 2019 confirmed that it had interviewed possible victims who visited Epstein’s ranch.

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New Mexico

110 years since ‘Pancho’ Villa’s attack on Columbus, New Mexico

Published

23 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

110 years since ‘Pancho’ Villa’s attack on Columbus, New Mexico

It is the 110th anniversary of Mexican revolutionary Gen. Francisco “Pancho” Villa’s attack on Columbus, New Mexico, on March 9, 1916.

The “Battle of Columbus,” as the raid is also known, was a pivotal moment in U.S.-Mexico border history and the first foreign ground invasion of the continental U.S. since 1812.

Camp Furlong Day

Pancho Villa State Park will commemorate the history surrounding Pancho Villa’s 1916 raid on the Village of Columbus on Saturday, March 14, during its Camp Furlong Day activities.

The annual event offers visitors an opportunity to explore the site where U.S. and Mexican history collided, shaping military strategy, border relations and life in southern New Mexico for generations.

Park visitors can participate in ranger-led tours and view exhibits highlighting Camp Furlong’s role during the Villa Raid.

Special guest presentations:

At 10 a.m., historian Glenn Minuth will present, “The Importance of Cootes Hill on the Raid on Columbus.”
At 1 p.m., Minuth returns with, “Mexican Death Train: The Santa Ysabel Massacre.”
At 2 p.m., historian Mike Anderson will present, “Tracks Through History: The Story of the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad.”

The Cabalgata Fiesta de Amistad includes the Memorial Ride from the border into Columbus, recognized as Luna County’s longest horse parade. Festivities continue in the downtown plaza with mariachis, folklorico dancers, and community gatherings honoring the shared cultural history of the border region.

Pancho Villa State Park is located at 228 W. Highway 9 in Columbus, New Mexico, approximately 30 miles south of Deming via Highway 11 or 70 miles west of Santa Teresa via Highway 9.

All activities are free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early. For details, visit www.emnrd.nm.gov/spd/find-a-park/pancho-villa-state-park/ or call 575-531-2711.

Pancho Villa’s raid on Columbus, New Mexico

Here is an article by Chris Roberts that originally ran in the El Paso Times on Nov. 7, 2010.

COLUMBUS, N.M. — A moonless night of mayhem in 1916 that left hundreds of Mexican revolutionaries and a smaller number of U.S. cavalry soldiers and civilians dead opened wounds that still haunt this small border town nearly a century later.

Francisco “Pancho” Villa’s raid on Columbus began just after 4 a.m. on March 9. It was the last major invasion of the continental United States by a foreign armed force, according to New Mexico state historians.

Eight U.S. soldiers were killed in the fight and another died later of his injuries. Ten Columbus residents and one Mexican national died. Villa lost nearly 200 men, and about 75 more were killed as soldiers chased them back over the border immediately after the raid.

“It was kind of a rag-tag army, if you want to call it an army,” said Richard Dean, a Columbus historian whose great-grandfather was killed in the raid. “Many of them were peons. He could have wiped Columbus off the map in 30 minutes if he had an army.”

A hotel was torched by the Villistas, which turned out to be a significant tactical blunder. The fire spread to a grocery store and two smaller buildings. The town was looted.

In response, U.S. officials formed the “Punitive Expedition,” which was headed by then-Brig. Gen. John “Black Jack” Pershing. Pershing’s mission was to enter Mexico; hunt down the raiders, particularly Villa; and bring them back to face trial.

Columbus’ economic losses from the raid were quickly offset as thousands of soldiers arrived for the expedition, which ended on Feb. 5, 1917. The garrison was not abandoned until 1924.

The expedition allowed the U.S. military to test its newfangled mechanized vehicles in battle conditions just before the nation entered World War I. That included Curtiss JN-3 “Jenny” biplanes, four-wheel drive trucks, Dodge touring cars and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

“The first batch (of eight Jennys) were out of commission in the first month,” said John Read, a heritage educator at Pancho Villa State Park in Columbus. “One was brought down by a dust devil.”

Expedition soldiers faced harsh conditions in the Chihuahuan desert — dehydrated by day and frozen at night. Most infantry soldiers wore canvas and glass goggles to protect their eyes.

“The dust down there was just horrendous,” Dean said.

Soldiers went as far as Parral, Mexico, but never found Villa. In the immediate aftermath of the raid, 14 wounded Villistas were captured, Dean said, with only six surviving. Five were hanged in Deming a few months after the raid. One received executive clemency, escaping the hangman’s noose with a life sentence.

Accounts of the raid have been numerous and often conflicting. And the perceptions of Villa run from national hero to terrorist, depending on who is speaking.

What follows is a re-creation of the raid drawn from historical reference works with heavy reliance on the Army’s staff ride, a teaching tool based largely on reports from the time. Other sources include interviews with Columbus historians, relatives of people involved, articles from the El Paso Times and other publications, and a New Mexico park service movie capturing oral histories from some who were there at an early age.

Trouble brews

In early 1916, Columbus was a growing town of about 400 residents. It had a school with 12 grades, three hotels, a bank, two mercantile stores, a grocery store, two drugstores, a hardware store, two churches, a lumberyard, a blacksmith shop and restaurants.

The modern age had arrived, represented by a Ford automobile dealership and a Coca-Cola bottling plant.

With revolution raging to the south, rumors of attack had become common. Townspeople prepared by conducting drills, finding the shortest route from home to the town’s more substantial brick and adobe buildings where family members could find a measure of safety.

The U.S. government, taking defensive measures, had established military camps along the Southwest border.

In Columbus, Army tents for enlisted soldiers in the 13th Cavalry were lined up across the railroad tracks from the town’s southern border. Col. Herbert J. Slocum, who lived in Columbus with most of the officers, had about 350 soldiers in camp.

Slocum was prevented from sending soldiers into Mexico by presidential policy. So, he and his soldiers scoured newspapers, questioned travelers from Mexico, pumped Mexican border guards and even paid a Mexican cowboy to find Villa’s force and report its location. Unfortunately for Slocum, most of his intelligence indicated Villa was moving away from Columbus.

In fact, Villa had targeted the town.

Villa’s motives are not entirely clear. However, historians agree that a number of factors likely contributed to his resolve.

President Woodrow Wilson had allowed Villa rival Venustiano Carranza to use U.S. railroads for troop transport. Carranza’s forces had traveled through Columbus into Arizona and on to Agua Prieta, Mexico, to hand Villa a significant defeat — one of many he was suffering at the time.

“It was a huge blow to his ego,” Dean said.

Some historians believe Villa was trying to provoke war between Carranza’s Mexico and the United States.

Villa felt he had protected U.S. residents and businesses in northern Mexico and saw Wilson’s move as a betrayal. And, after the mounting losses, Villa was reportedly low on provisions — weapons, ammunition, horses, food and other supplies.

Personal revenge may even have played a role. Sam Ravel, who owned a hotel and a general store in Columbus, allegedly accepted money from a Villa agent in 1913 for arms and ammunition. When Wilson banned the sale of those items to Mexican nationals, according to some accounts, Ravel kept the money without supplying the merchandise.

Whatever his motivation, Villa sent two spies to walk the streets of Columbus the day before the raid. They informed Villa his army would face only about 30 to 50 soldiers.

“Pancho Villa would never have done this if he had the correct intelligence,” Dean said.

The attack begins

Under clear skies, the Mexican soldiers prepared to attack. A sliver of moon set just after 11 p.m. on March 8, leaving only faint starlight to illuminate the desert landscape.

Reports vary as to whether Villa himself crossed into the United States, but most accounts put him at a staging area a little more than a mile southwest of town.

On horseback, nearly 500 Villistas approached the town from the west, north and south in a pincer movement.

At about 4:15 a.m., 1st Lt. John P. Lucas, who lived on the southwest side of town, heard the beat of horse hooves through his open window.

“I looked out, and although the night was very dark, I saw a man wearing a black sombrero riding towards camp,” Lucas reported. “From the sounds I heard, it seemed to me that he had quite a few companions and that my house was completely surrounded.”

Pvt. Fred Griffin, guarding regimental headquarters a stone’s throw from Lucas’ house, had spotted the raiders and called for them to halt. They shot him in the stomach. Griffin killed his assailant and two others. That commotion drew the Mexican soldiers away from Lucas’ house.

“I … have always felt that I owed him a great debt of gratitude,” Lucas wrote. “Unfortunately, he was killed.”

Officer of the day Lt. James P. Castleman, at his post as the staff duty officer, heard the gunshots and grabbed his pistol. As he wheeled around the corner of the duty shack, he collided with a Villista. Castleman fired first and killed the raider.

A barrage of gunfire erupted.

The main Villista attack moved into the center of town. Another wave hit the Army barracks and stables to the south. The rest attacked through residences and businesses on the north end of town.

At the barracks, Sgt. Michael Fody rounded up about 25 troopers armed with Springfield rifles. Castleman arrived and took command.

“On account of the darkness it was impossible to distinguish anyone, and for a moment I was under the impression that we were being fired upon by some of our own regiment,” Fody wrote. “The feeling was indescribable and when I heard Mexican voices opposite us, you can imagine my relief.”

Castleman directed his troops to the southeast side of Columbus and set up a firing line pointed back through the center of town.

Meanwhile, Lucas, with two of his gunners, broke into the locked weapons shed and armed themselves with 1916 Benet-Mercie “machine rifles.”

Lucas set up the guns at strategic locations on the south side of Columbus, firing northwest, also into the center of town. The two-man guns were unreliable and jammed at first.

Lucas and Castleman had set up a crossfire that raked the downtown area. By starlight, however, they could barely see.

The Villistas were all over the town, looting stores and looking for Ravel, whom Villa believed had cheated him. Ravel was in El Paso recovering from dental surgery.

Unable to find Ravel at his store, the Villistas went to a hotel he owned just north of Lucas’ gun emplacements. They killed some of its occupants and set it on fire. The fire spread to three other buildings, which illuminated the Villistas’ movements. The soldiers now were firing with deadly accuracy. For more than two hours, the fight continued until the Villistas began a retreat as the sun began to glow in the east.

Trish Long may be reached at tlong@elpasotimes.com.

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New Mexico

Remembering Pancho Villa’s New Mexico Raid and the Punitive Expedition Into Mexico | Council on Foreign Relations

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March 9, 2026

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Remembering Pancho Villa’s New Mexico Raid and the Punitive Expedition Into Mexico | Council on Foreign Relations

Say the words “September 11” and every American instantly knows what you are referring to. The same is true for “Pearl Harbor.” Most Americans vaguely know that during the War of 1812 the British shelled Fort McHenry and burned down the White House. But mention the words “Columbus, New Mexico” and you will draw blank stares. Yet on March 9, 1916, Mexican revolutionary leader José Doroteo Arango Arámbula—better known to history as Pancho Villa—led a surprise attack on Columbus that left eighteen Americans and eighty Mexicans dead. Within days, nearly 7,000 U.S. soldiers crossed the border into Mexico in search of Villa in what would become one of the more dismal chapters in U.S. military history: the Punitive Expedition.

The Mexican Revolution

The events in Columbus, New Mexico had a back story. In 1911, a popular uprising had ousted Porfirio Díaz as president (more accurately, dictator) of Mexico after thirty-five years in power. (Díaz is credited with uttering the line, “Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States!”) His overthrow ushered in a decade of political instability known as the Mexican Revolution. Mexico saw several leaders come to power as conflict wracked the country.

From left to right: Victoriano Huerta, Emilio Madero, and Pancho Villa in 1912.Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia.

The first person to succeed Díaz was Francisco Madero. The son of a wealthy landowner in northeastern Mexico, Madero studied in the United States and France and became a democracy advocate. He was also, to say the least, odd. As the historian Robert Ferrell tells it:

At one meeting with the American ambassador, Henry Lane Wilson, the president of Mexico placed a third chair in the circle and announced to the ambassador that a friend was sitting there. The friend was invisible, Madero explained, but there nonetheless.

In February, after holding power for less than two years, Madero was shunted aside by his leading military officer, General Victoriano Huerta. The general drank, and drank often; brandy was his preferred drink. (He died in 1916 from cirrhosis of the liver.) He had Madero and his vice president shot, possibly at the behest of Ambassador Wilson. Huerta had suggested to Ambassador Wilson that perhaps he should exile Madero or send him to an insane asylum. The ambassador responded ambiguously; Huerta “ought to do that which was best for the peace of the country.”

Madero’s murder outraged the incoming U.S. president, Woodrow Wilson, who was not related to Ambassador Wilson and who was inaugurated on March 4, 1913. (The tradition of inaugurating presidents on January 20 did not begin until after the passage of the Twentieth Amendment in 1933.) Once in office, Wilson refused to recognize Huerta’s legitimacy, saying the Mexican general led a “government of butchers.” Ever the moralist, Wilson told the British ambassador to the United States: “I am going to teach the South American republics to elect good men.” Wilson’s efforts to influence who would lead Mexico included using the Tampico Incident in April 1914 to order the U.S. invasion of Veracruz, Mexico. U.S. troops would remain there until that November.

Venustiano Carranza Takes Power

President Wilson got his wish for a new Mexican government in August 1914 when Huerta was ousted by Venustiano Carranza. Another son of a wealthy landowner and a Madero follower, Carranza was a former governor of the Mexican state of Coahuila. He quickly found his rule challenged by his former ally, Francisco (Pancho) Villa, who had led the “Division of the North” in fighting against Huerta loyalists.

Pancho Villa, commander of the División del Norte (North Division), and Emiliano Zapata, commander of the Ejército Libertador del Sur (Liberation Army of the South), on December 4, 1914. Villa is sitting in the presidential chair in the Palacio Nacional.DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University.

Villa at first had Carranza on the defensive. In December 1914, Villa’s forces briefly took control of Mexico City before being driven back north. Wilson thought that Villa might be friendly to U.S. interests, so he withheld formal recognition of the Carranza government. Villa in turn hoped that Wilson’s refusal to recognize the Carranza government would help his cause. He was soon disappointed, however. The war in Europe increasingly consumed Wilson’s time, and he wanted a way out of his confrontational policies toward Mexico. Carranza, as he put it, “will somehow have to be digested.” In October 1915, the United States did just that, formally recognizing his government.

Pancho Villa’s Revenge

Villa viewed Wilson’s decision as a betrayal, especially after Washington allowed Carranza’s troops to travel on U.S. railroads through New Mexico and Arizona to pursue Villa and his men rather than cross the harsh northern Mexican desert by horseback. German agents also urged Villa to turn on the United States. They hoped to bog the United States down in a war with Mexico that would prevent a U.S. entry into World War I.

With events having shifted against him, Villa devised a new strategy. He would seek to provoke the United States into attacking Mexico, thereby discrediting Carranza as a pawn of the United States. Villa put his plan into effect in January 1916. As Ferrell tells the story, Villa’s troops:

Met a Mexican Northwestern train at Santa Ysabel on January 11, 1916, carrying seventeen young American college graduates who had just come into Mexico from California under a safe conduct from Carranza to open a mine. Villa killed sixteen of them on the spot.

Villa spared one of the young Americans so he could tell his countrymen what happened.

The news of the Santa Ysabel massacre did not trigger the U.S. retaliation that Villa expected. So, he turned to something even more audacious. In the predawn hours of March 9, 1916, Villa’s men raided the town of Columbus, New Mexico, three miles north of the border. A regiment of the U.S. Army’s 13th Cavalry was encamped at the town, and its munitions depot was a target of the raid. Despite being caught off guard, the U.S. troops quickly regrouped and returned fire—at one point setting up a machine gun in front of the town’s lone hotel. The fighting, as well as the fires Villa’s men set, left the town in ruins.

A soldier stands near the smoking ruins of Columbus, New Mexico, after the raid by Pancho Villa’s forces.Museum of New Mexico and the National Guard.

The Punitive Expedition

By the end of the day on March 9, Wilson had ordered General John J. Pershing to cross into Mexico to hunt down Villa. The incursion would have been an act of war, except that Carranza had reluctantly consented to it; he essentially had no other choice. He did, however, extract one face-saving concession: Mexico had the right, at least in theory, to pursue bandits across the border into the United States.

“I’ve Had About Enough of This.” Uncle Sam leaps across the border fence with Mexico to chase Pancho Villa. Made on March 10, 1916 by Clifford K. Berryman.National Archives Berryman Collection.

The Punitive Expedition began with much enthusiasm and moral righteousness in Washington. It proved in practice, like most of Wilson’s policies toward Mexico, to be a political and diplomatic blunder. Pershing’s troops trekked more than 300 miles through northern Mexico without setting eyes on Villa, who knew the unfriendly terrain and was a hero to the local people. Critics back in the United States began to call the incursion as the “Perishing Expedition.”

American soldiers cross the arid plains south of Columbus, New Mexico, March 1916.United States Army.

Rather than cut his losses, Wilson surged more troops into Mexico. Soon more than 12,000 U.S. soldiers had crossed the border. Carranza understandably wanted them all to go home. Even though General Pershing assured Washington that “the natives are not generally arming to oppose us,” in June 1916 U.S. forces clashed with the Mexican army, leaving a dozen Americans and forty Mexicans dead. Within days, Wilson had ordered nearly 150,000 National Guard troops to the border. War seemed likely.

Reversing Course

Wilson’s stubbornness and self-righteousness partly explain why he continued to dig his hole deeper in Mexico rather than stop shoveling. Politics also played a part—1916 was a presidential election year. Like many presidents who would follow him, Wilson did not want to hand an election issue to his opponent by looking “weak” in his dealing with Mexico.

Events on the other side of the Atlantic eventually forced Wilson’s hand. With relations with Germany worsening, and the likelihood of a U.S. entry into World War I growing, he ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops in early January 1917. The last U.S. soldiers left Mexico on February 5, 1917. Less than four weeks later, the American public would learn about the  Zimmermann Telegram.

The 6th and 16th Infantry Battalions of the U.S. Army returning to the United States between Corralitos Rancho and Ojo Federico, Mexico, January 29, 1917.United States Army.

Today Columbus, New Mexico, is home to about 1,800 people. It lies thirty five miles south of Deming, New Mexico, and sixty-five miles west of El Paso, Texas. You can find it by taking New Mexico State Highway 11 south from I-10 or New Mexico State Highway 9 from El Paso. Should you ever visit Columbus, be sure to check out Pancho Villa State Park.

The United States celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026. To mark that milestone, I am resurfacing essays I have written over the years about major events in U.S. foreign policy. A version of this essay was published on March 9, 2011. 

Oscar Berry assisted in the preparation of this post.

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