2020 Map of Pinon Ranch

About this map

Lincoln National Forest dominates the eastern landscape of this high-desert ranching region, where the terrain breaks sharply at The Rim. The map documents a rugged interior network of draws and canyons, including Indian Trail Canyon and Buckhorn Canyon, reflecting a landscape shaped by seasonal water flow and livestock management. Evidence of the area's pastoral reliance on groundwater is found in named water features such as Woods Tank, North Well, and Hooten Tank, which are critical infrastructure for the cattle operations that define Chaves and Otero counties. Transportation in this arid environment is maintained through primitive routes like Pinon Well Rd and Wilkerson Well Rd, which connect remote homesteads and grazing allotments across the Collins Hills. This 2020 survey provides a modern baseline of these long-established ranch boundaries and the persistent geography of the Piñon Cr drainage system.