Loading map...

2013 Map of Los Pilares

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

USGS Topo · Published 2013

About this map

El Malpais National Monument dominates this high-desert landscape in Cibola County, where volcanic terrain and sandstone formations define the geography. The map captures a transition from the basalt flows of the Malpais and Los Medanitos in the west to the towering elevations of N Cebollita Mesa and Mesa Negra in the east. Human presence is concentrated near the corridor of NM-117, where small settlements and agricultural outposts like Los Pilares, La Vieja, and Bibo Ranch sit below the rising cliffs.

Water sources are vital and sparse, marked by features such as Las Ventanas Windmill, Pilares Windmill, and Deer Spring. Notable landmarks including Sandstone Bluffs Arch and the Little Narrows illustrate the dramatic erosion patterns typical of this region. The drainage of Cebollita Creek cuts through Cebollita Canyon, providing a focal point for the rugged topography south of Las Ventanas Ridge.