1963 Map of Loco Mountain

About this map

The Gila National Forest defines this high-altitude landscape in Catron County, where water management is central to the remote terrain. In the early 1960s, a complex network of artificial water sources like Elladene Tank, Loco Mountain Tank, and Snow Canyon Tank supported livestock and forest operations across the drainage basins. High mesas such as Iron Creek Mesa and Aeroplane Mesa are dissected by deep canyons, including Moonshine Canyon and Pitchfork Canyon, which feed into the Middle Fork Gila River. Evidence of earlier human presence appears as Ruins near the river's path, while modern infrastructure is represented by a Gaging Sta and an Aqueduct traversing the T Bar Ridge. The confluence of Iron Creek and Gilita Creek highlights the intricate hydrology of this mountain environment during the mid-century era of forest management.