2013 Map of Candy Mesa

About this map

Candy Mesa and the surrounding high plains of De Baca and Quay Counties reveal a landscape defined by sharp escarpments and isolated ranching operations. The terrain is marked by prominent landforms such as Charlotte Point and the sprawling Taiban Mesa, where the flat tabletop heights drop away into drainage systems like Cottonwood Canyon. Water is a critical but scarce resource in this region, traced by the intermittent flows of Red Tank Cr and Truchas Cr. Settlement is sparse and focused on working lands, centered on the Knighten Ranch in the northwest and M and M Ranch to the south. The transition between the high mesa and the lower plains is navigated by a network of rural routes including House Cap Rd and Long Canyon Rd, while NM-252 serves as the primary north-south artery through this open cattle country.