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1971 Map of Barela

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Barela
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Barela and its surrounding high-country terrain define this 1971 survey of Las Animas County, where the southern Colorado landscape transitions into a series of massive mesas and deep canyons. The settlement itself sits near the Barela Cem and Hermosa Dam, connected to the wider region by the Southern railroad line. The map reveals a complex water system essential for high-altitude ranching, including Petes Lake, Lantin Lake, and the numbered basins of Lake No 1 through Lake No 3.

Evidence of resource extraction and navigation is visible in the Mararski Mine and an Airway Beacon atop Burro Mesa. The rugged topography is punctuated by numerous springs like Nick Spring and Bathtub Spring, while the southern reaches show the Raton Ski Basin and the expansive Fishers Peak Mesa. Local history is embedded in named landmarks such as Martinez Park and Strasia Meadow, illustrating the era's land use before modern development altered these cattle-range and recreation areas.