Loading map...

2013 Map of Crocker

Name: 2013 Topographic Map of Crocker
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2013
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2013

About this map

The Fra Cristobal Range dominates the western half of this Sierra County landscape, dropping sharply into the arid basin of the Jornada del Muerto to the east. This transition from high peaks to desert floor is marked by a series of dramatic drainages, including Hellion Canyon, Walnut Canyon, and Flying Eagle Canyon. These steep cuts through the mountains serve as natural corridors between the heights and the plains, evidenced by several prominent passes such as Red Gap, Chalk Gap, and the somberly named Massacre Gap.

Human presence in this sparse environment is concentrated around the small settlement of Crocker and the Deep Well Ranch, both situated on the flatter terrain of the Jornada basin. The availability of water in this dry region is highlighted by Walnut Springs, while CO Road A-13 provides the primary north-south transit route along the mountain foothills. The geography here illustrates the classic New Mexico desert-mountain dynamic where names like Reynolds Canyon and Cottonwood Canyon reflect the scarce but critical riparian features of the high desert.