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1981 Map of Big Gyp Mountain

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Big Gyp Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

White Sands Missile Range dominates this section of Sierra County, where high desert terrain and sparse water sources define the geography. The presence of the Gyp Hills and the prominent Big Gyp Mountain reflects the area's geological composition, which is heavily influenced by gypsum deposits. This arid landscape is punctuated by a network of critical water points that historically sustained movement through the basin, including Smith Springs, Gyp Spring, and Logan Spring.

Remote canyons such as Soldier Hole Canyon and Bear Den Canyon cut through the rugged slopes, leading toward Rosebud Flat in the southeast. While the landscape is largely dedicated to military testing and range operations by the early 1980s, the mapping of numerous wells and tanks like Wood Well and Buckhorn Tank provides evidence of the area's cattle-ranching history. This survey illustrates a quiet, specialized corner of New Mexico where tactical land use meets traditional high-desert survival features.