International Friendship Park sits at the far southwestern corner of the United States, where the border fence runs into the Pacific. The name is hopeful, and the reality is more complicated: access is limited, the fence dominates the scene, and the place says as much about modern borders as it does about friendship.
The adjacent Monument Mesa picnic area is easier to reach and gives the same stark sense of geography. When the Border Field State Park gate is closed or the road is flooded, expect a walk in rather than a quick drive.