1953 Map of Trampas

About this map

Trampas and the surrounding high-altitude high desert of Rio Arriba and Taos counties appear here just as they were documented in the early 1950s. The landscape is defined by traditional Spanish land grants, including the Sebastian Martin Grant and the Las Trampas Grant, which preserved a distinct settlement pattern of small villages along narrow watercourses. Small agricultural communities like Apodaca, Dixon, and El Llano are clustered near Embudo Creek, where man-made flumes and ditches divert water to the valley floor. To the east, the terrain rises into the Carson National Forest, where the economy shifted from farming to mineral extraction. Notable sites like the Harding Mine and several inactive tungsten and copper workings near Copper Hill illustrate the region's diverse mining history. Cultural landmarks, including the Iglesia de Santo Tomas and Escuela de Abajo, anchor the remote mountain settlements.