1961 Map of Lower Colonias

About this map

Lower Colonias and Upper Colonias define the central valley of this 1961 field-checked survey, following the winding path of Cow Creek through San Miguel County. The settlement pattern is largely agricultural and ranch-based, evidenced by the Kay Bar Ranch and Flying Cloud Ranch. Religious and community life is centered around the Santo Niño Cem near the riverbanks. The surrounding landscape, much of it protected within the Santa Fe National Forest, is marked by high-altitude features like Ruidoso Ridge and numerous canyons, including Cañon de los Trigos and Cañon Apache. This map captures a network of primitive transportation routes, where established roads give way to a web of Jeep Trails and Pack Trails that connect the isolated settlements and livestock grazing areas of the Sangre de Cristo foothills.