2020 Map of U Bar Ridge

About this map

Big Hatchet Mountains dominate the northeastern corner of this corner of Hidalgo County, giving way to the low-lying Playas Valley in the south and west. This arid landscape is punctuated by water features critical to the region's ranching and natural history, including Las Cienegas Spring and the Big Tank. A distinctive human imprint is recorded at the Humble Oil and Refining Number 1, reflecting mid-to-late 20th-century resource exploration in the New Mexico borderlands. The terrain is further defined by the prominent U Bar Ridge and the descent of Thompson Canyon, while a sparse network of county roads like Co RD c011 provides the only passage through this desolate basin and range country.