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2017 Map of South Baldy

Name: 2017 Topographic Map of South Baldy
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2017
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2017

About this map

South Baldy stands as the prominent height in this rugged section of the Magdalena Mountains within the Cibola National Forest. The landscape is defined by deep drainages like Water Canyon and South Canyon, which are punctuated by numerous isolated water sources vital to the high-desert environment. These springs, including Bear Canyon Spring, Sixmile Spring, and the curiously named Haunted Spring, trace the difficult terrain and provide insight into the hydrology that supported early ranching and forest activities in Socorro County.

Automobile access is limited to a few routes such as Water Canyon Rd, while the remainder of the territory is a complex system of peaks and canyons. Notable summits like Italian Peak, Timber Peak, and Buck Peak create a high-altitude relief that overlooks the Puertecito Canyon and Hardy Ridge to the south. The distribution of tanks, such as Turkey Tank and Puertecito Rim Tank, suggests a history of cattle management throughout these forest lands.