1964 Map of Taos SW

About this map

Large Spanish and Mexican land grants define the geography south and west of Taos, reflecting the complex historical property boundaries of northern New Mexico. The Antonio Martinez or Pueblo de Taos Grant, Gijosa Grant, and La Serna Grant occupy significant portions of the landscape, intersecting with the Carson National Forest. The dramatic Canon del Rio Grande carves through the western edge of the quadrangle, where the Rio Grande is fed by the Rio Grande Spring. In the southern reaches, the Picuris Mountains rise above a series of arroyos, including Arroyo Piedra Lumbre Canyon and Arroyo Miranda. The map captures the rugged transition from the river canyon to the high mountain slopes, documented by the U.S. Geological Survey through photogrammetric methods in the early 1960s.