2019 Map of Packers Gap

About this map

The Comanche National Grassland dominates this section of southeastern Colorado, where the high plains break into a complex system of drainages and mesas. This landscape is defined by the historic route of the Barlow-Sanderson Wagon Road, which cuts diagonally across the terrain, serving as a reminder of early stagecoach and freighting corridors through the Southwest. The topography is deeply etched by a network of seasonal watercourses and canyons, including Minnie Canyon, Iron Canyon, and the headwaters of Bent Canyon. The terrain rises toward the Shale Hills in the north, where the landmark Packers Gap provides a natural passage through the elevated ridges. This area, straddling the line between Otero and Las Animas counties, remains largely defined by its open range and the intricate bifurcations of the W Br Crooked Arroyo and E-Br Crooked Arroyo.