2023 Map of Cerro

About this map

Cerro and the high desert plains of northern Taos County meet the steep western face of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in this modern topographic record. The landscape is defined by the contrast between the flat, irrigated valley floor and the towering peaks to the east, including Virsylvia Peak and Pinabete Peak. An intricate network of ditches, such as Number One Ditch and the Cerro Community Ditch, demonstrates the long-standing reliance on surface water diverted from the mountains to support agricultural life in settlements like Buena Vista. For genealogists, the map identifies local burial grounds including the Latir Cem and Cerro Protestant Cem. The eastern portion of the sheet transitions into protected lands, spanning the Carson National Forest and the Latir Peak Wilderness, where trails like the Rito del Medio Trl climb through deep canyons.