2013 Map of Emery Peak

About this map

Emery Peak and the high plateaus of Negro Mesa and River Mesa define the borderlands where Las Animas County, Colorado meets Union County, New Mexico. The landscape is characterized by a series of deep drainage systems, including Toll Gate Canyon, Sumpters Canyon, and Devoys Canyon, which descend toward the basin of the Dry Cimarron River. The human footprint here is largely defined by the management of water and transit across this high-altitude terrain. The presence of the Johns and Gleason N Ditch near Oak Cr indicates early agricultural engineering designed to capture seasonal runoff. Regional movement is funneled through natural bottlenecks like Emery Gap, with NM-456 and NM-551 tracing the winding valley floors. This survey also records localized topographic features such as Emery Vega and Devoys Peak, providing a clear look at the geological divide between these two states.