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1954 Map of Capilla Peak

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Capilla Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1992
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1992

About this map

The high ridgelines of the Manzano Mountains dominate this mid-century survey, defining the rugged geography within the Cibola National Forest. Rising to prominent summits like Capilla Peak and Gallo Peak, the terrain is carved by an extensive network of drainages including Cañon del Trigo and Cañon de la Vereda. The map reveals the infrastructure of the era's conservation and scientific efforts, notably the Capilla Peak Lookout Tower and Capilla Peak Observatory, situated near the Capilla Peak Picnic Grounds.

Evidence of earlier habitation and resource use appears in sites like the now-abandoned McKinley Place (Aband) and the family-named canyons like Cañon de Bartolo and Cañon de Baca. These labels reflect the cultural intersection of Spanish land grant history and federal wilderness management, evidenced by the Grant Forest Boundary and the winding Torreon Loop Road that edges the forest's eastern slopes.