1940 Map of Carlsbad Caverns West

About this map

Sitting Bull Recreational Area anchors the northwestern corner of this Guadalupe Mountains landscape, where Sitting Bull Falls marks a prominent geological break in the limestone terrain. The 1940 survey documents a network of subterranean features that define the region's character, ranging from Cottonwood Cave and Black Cave in the west to the cluster of New Cave, Midnight Cave, and Ogle Cave further east. The settlement patterns of the era are centered on isolated ranching outposts such as Montgomery Ranch, Colwell Ranch, and Able Ranch, while the presence of Queen (Ruins) suggests an earlier phase of habitation near the Old Queen Road. High-elevation landmarks like The Pinnacle and Hess Hills rise above a complex system of drainages, including Slaughter Canyon and Rattlesnake Canyon, which carve deep paths through the high desert toward the Eddy and Culberson County line.