2011 Map of Alma

About this map

Alma serves as the focal point of this arid Catron County landscape, situated where the San Francisco River meets the drainages of Mineral Creek and Deep Creek. The map reveals a land defined by water scarcity and cattle ranching, marked by a network of ranch properties and vital watering holes like Hollimon Well and John Windmill. Ranching heritage is prominently displayed through named homesteads such as the W-S Ranch, E Spurgeon Ranch, and B McKeen Ranch, which are connected by specialized routes like Smoothing Iron Rd and Alma Mesa Rd. The terrain is characterized by flat-topped mesas including Spurgeon Mesa and Racetrack Mesa, and the complex network of tanks—such as Leaky Tank and Hells Here Tank—necessary for sustaining livestock across the high desert flats and deep canyons like Beaver Canyon.