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1953 Map of Laguna Peak

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Laguna Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Rio Chama and Rio Gallina meet in this northern New Mexico landscape, a region defined by high mesas and deep-cut canyons. The confluence is overlooked by Mesa de los Viejos and the Gallina Bench Ranch, while further south the Abiquiu Reservoir begins to fill the Canyon de Chama. The terrain is characterized by numerous drainage networks known as cañadas, such as Cañada de los Indios and Cañada Gurule, which drain the massive plateaus of Mesa Laguna and Mesa Gurule.

Evidence of historical land use and habitation appears at Los Ojitos and a site marked simply as Ruins near the river. The presence of numerous water sources like Los Indios Spring and Potrero Spring suggests a reliance on scattered natural springs for ranching and settlement across the Santa Fe National Forest and Carson National Forest borderlands. The map also traces the Camino del Mesa trail, a traditional route navigating the complex topography between the mesas.