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1995 Map of Wheeler Peak

Name: 1995 Topographic Map of Wheeler Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1998
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1998

About this map

Wheeler Peak dominates the landscape here as the highest point in New Mexico, anchoring a high-altitude wilderness within the Carson National Forest. The map captures the complex administrative and cultural boundaries of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, where the Taos Pueblo Grant meets the Antoine Leroux Grant and the Antonio Martinez or Godoi Grant. These historical land tracts converge near high alpine basins and glacial lakes like Williams Lake and the sacred Blue Lake.

In the northwestern corner, the settlement of Taos Ski Valley and the site of Twining represent the transition from mining history to modern recreation. Evidence of earlier industry remains at the Bull-of-the-Woods Mines and various unnamed Mines, situated along the ridges above Hondo Canyon. The drainage patterns are well-defined, with the Red River system and Rio Hondo carving deep canyons through the granite peaks, while trails and a Wilderness Boundary delineate the protected reaches of the Wheeler Peak Wilderness.