2017 Map of Bear Spring

About this map

Lincoln National Forest encompasses the high country of the Sacramento Mountains in this 2017 survey of Otero County. The landscape is defined by an intricate network of drainages including Bluewater Canyon, Jim Lewis Canyon, and Sleepy Grass Canyon. These deep relief features provide a clear record of the region's hydrography, marked by critical water sources such as Bear Spring, McEwan Spring, and Cecil Smith Water. Evidence of early settlement and land use is visible at Jeffers Cem, situated near Jeffers Spring in the northern portion of the quadrangle. The naming of features like Ben Williams Canyon and West Fork Ben Williams Canyon suggests a history of localized family ranching or homesteading in these canyons. Transportation is limited to a sparse network of forest roads and trails that traverse high points like Lick Ridge.