Loading map...

1972 Map of Cobert Mesa South

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of Cobert Mesa South
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

Cobert Mesa dominates the northern reaches of this landscape along the border of Las Animas and Union counties, where New Mexico meets Colorado. The high plateau is dissected by an intricate network of drainage features, including Skeleton Draw and Horseshoe Draw, which feed into the complex system of canyons below. The Dry Cimarron River winds through the central portion of the sheet, acting as a geographic anchor for the numerous side canyons such as Boulder Canyon and Long Canyon that carve into the mesa walls.

Transportation in the early 1970s was defined by rugged routes like the Indian Trail and Thomas Canyon Trail, along with various unnamed jeep trails that navigate the steep breaks. The southern portion of the map shows the terrain descending toward Travesser Creek, marked by distinctive features like White Rock Canyon and Giles Canyon. This survey captures a specific era of land use in the high plains, where the natural topography dictated the paths of travel and the boundaries between states.