Place guide
Fort Sill Apache Tribe
A Chiricahua Apache tribe with ancestral homelands in southwestern New Mexico.
📍GPS: 32.241564, -107.420566
Fort Sill Apache Tribe
The Fort Sill Apache Tribe is a federally recognized tribe of Chiricahua Apache people. After Geronimo’s surrender in 1886, the Chiricahua Apache were held as prisoners of war and deported to Florida, Alabama, and eventually Fort Sill, Oklahoma. They were never given a reservation in their traditional homeland, and their descendants are now mainly associated with the Fort Sill Apache, Mescalero Apache, and San Carlos Apache tribes. Today, the tribe’s headquarters (they don’t have a reservation) remain in Oklahoma, but it owns a small parcel of trust land near Deming, New Mexico.
Location of Apache tribes in the late 18th century. Ch – Chiricahua, WA – Western Apache, M – Mescalero, J – Jicarilla, L – Lipan, Pl – Plains Apache, N – Navajo (a related but distinct people speaking an Athabaskan language).
Chiricahua Apache Plaza
Located along Interstate 10 west of Deming, the Chiricahua Apache Plaza sells fuel, convenience items, and food. It is a gas station.
Getting There
The Fort Sill Apache reservation at Akela sits directly along I-10 between Deming and Las Cruces. Take I-10 Exit 102 at Akela to reach the reservation and Chiricahua Apache Plaza.
The reservation is about 20 miles east of Deming, which is the closest major town for lodging and other services. There are currently relatively few visitor attractions at Akela, so it works best as a short stop along I-10.
Visiting Respectfully
The Fort Sill Apache Tribe, though essentially a gas station, is a sovereign tribal nation with its own government and history. Visitors should still respect tribal property and posted regulations.
Explore More Tribal Communities
Want to visit more of New Mexico’s pueblos and tribal lands? See our ranking of the best tribes and pueblos to visit in New Mexico, based on public access, cultural attractions, recreation, lodging, and other visitor amenities.
Nearby places
Cabinetlandia
A conceptual art project styled as a tiny desert nation, complete with imaginary districts and its own “National Library.
Rockhound State Park
A unique park near Deming where visitors are encouraged to collect their own semiprecious stones.
Deming
A historic railroad town known for Mimbres culture, wineries, and easy access to southern New Mexico’s best state parks.