Loading map...

1960 Map of Taos Junction

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Taos Junction
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The Carson National Forest defines the rugged geography of this 1960 survey, dominated by a network of seasonal watercourses and sharp topographic shifts. High points like Cerro Azul and Mesa Vibora overlook a landscape carved by Arroyo Sandlin and Arroyo Stevens. The area’s human history is marked by transportation routes, notably the Old Railroad Grade which cuts through the northern sector near the small settlement at Taos Junction.

Surveyors identified critical water resources in this arid terrain, such as the Martinez Tank, which supported local ranching or transit. The boundary between Rio Arriba County and Taos County runs through the western portion of the map, intersecting with the Canada de los Comanches. This map illustrates the intersection of public land management and the remnants of early twentieth-century infrastructure in the high desert of northern New Mexico.