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1963 Map of Ruidoso Downs

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Ruidoso Downs
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Ruidoso Downs serves as the focal point of this 1960s study, situated along the valley of the Rio Ruidoso where the high desert meets the foothills of the Sacramento Mountains. The settlement pattern is largely confined to the narrow corridor of the river and Herrera Lane, revealing a community geared toward local industry and entertainment, marked by a Gravel Pit and a Drive-in Theater. Beyond the town, the landscape transitions into the administrative and cultural boundaries of the Lincoln National Forest and the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation.

This era shows a reliance on scattered water sources across the canyon-cut terrain, with numerous named tanks and springs such as Baston Spring and Turkey Spring providing essential resources for the area. The geography is defined by deep cuts like Johnson Canyon and prominent rises such as Whitetail Mountain, illustrating the difficult topography that dictated early New Mexico ranching and transit routes.