Loading map...

2010 Map of Purgatoire Canyon

Name: 2010 Topographic Map of Purgatoire Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2010
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2010

About this map

Purgatoire Canyon and its namesake Purgatoire River dominate this portion of Las Animas County, where the high plains of southern Colorado are deeply incised by water and history. The landscape is marked by a legacy of rural Hispanic settlement, evidenced by the presence of Mestas Cemetery and the Los Hermanos Penitentes Cemetery, the latter signifying the area's association with the historic Catholic lay brotherhood.

Water sources are vital and scarce in this arid environment, with several named points of interest like Rail O Spring, Eastside Spring, and Surratt Spring distributed near the drainages. Trinchera Creek meanders through the eastern section, notably featuring Trinchera Falls. The topography is further defined by secondary breaks such as Miller Canyon, Rail O Canyon, and Perea Canyon, illustrating the complex network of draws that feed into the river system. For genealogists, the named cemeteries and family-linked landmarks provide important geographic anchors in a sparsely populated region.