| Raton Mesa | |
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 Raton Mesa, the highest of the Raton Mesas, stands majestically over Trinidad, Colorado. Its summit, Fishers Peak, reaches an elevation that dominates the surrounding landscape, marking the northern edge of the Raton Basin. This iconic mesa, once known as Raton Mountain, is not only a natural landmark but also the namesake for the entire cluster of mesas that stretch along the Colorado-New Mexico border. | |
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| Location | Las Animas County,Colorado, United States |
| Designated | 1967 |
Raton Mesa (formerly known as Raton Mountain) is the name of the mesa that overlooks the town of Trinidad and is located inLas Animas County, Colorado. The highest point of Raton Mesa isFishers Peak. In 1967, the Department of the Interior designated it as aNational Natural Landmark.[1][2]
Raton Mesa is the namesake forRaton Pass and also lends its name to the cluster ofmesas that separate northeasternNew Mexico from southeasternColorado, collectively recognized as theRaton Mesas (formerly known as the Raton Mountains).
Raton Mesas are volcanic in origin caused by lava flows which solidified intobasalt. Over time the softersedimentary rock surrounding the basalt eroded leaving several distinct large, elevated tablelands with precipitous sides.[1]
The Raton Mesas begin at the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the west and extend eastward for 90 miles (140 km) along the Colorado-New Mexico border to theOklahoma panhandle. In addition to Raton Mesa proper, the major mesas within this cluster include Bartlett Mesa, Horseshoe Mesa, andJohnson Mesa. East of the major mesas, between Branson, Colorado, and theBlack Mesa of Oklahoma, lies a scattering of minor mesas known as "Mesa de Maya."[2]
Much like how "New York" refers to both a city and a state, "Raton" is used to refer to both a specific mesa and the larger collection of mesas.
Interstate Highway 25 through Raton Pass, 7,834 feet (2,388 m) in elevation, separates the foothills of theSangre de Cristo Mountains to the west from the mesa country on the east. For this article, Raton Mesa is defined as the area east of Interstate 25 betweenTrinidad, Colorado andRaton, New Mexico, approximately 19 miles (31 km) south to north, and extending eastwards about 13 miles (21 km). Within this area are three distinct mesas separated by deep canyons: Fishers Peak Mesa in Colorado, with a maximum elevation of 9,633 feet (2,936 m), Bartlett Mesa, mostly in New Mexico, with a maximum elevation of 8,900 feet (2,700 m), and Barela/Horseshoe/Horse Mesa, straddling the Colorado/New Mexico state line, with a maximum elevation of 8,757 feet (2,669 m). The elevations at the foot of the mesas are 6,000 feet (1,800 m) or higher.[3]
The flat-topped mesas are mostly grassland, but their steep slopes are wooded withponderosa pine the dominant species, joined byquaking aspen,Douglas fir, andwhite fir at higher elevations andpinyon,juniper, andGambel oak at lower elevations. Mammal species includeAmerican black bear,cougar,mule deer,beaver, and especiallyelk which are seen in herds of more than 100 individuals.[4] Hunting, especially for elk, is popular in season on both public and private lands.[5]
No public roads reach the top of the mesas. The only public road which penetrates the area is throughSugarite Canyon State Park in New Mexico. It terminates shortly after crossing the border into Colorado at an altitude of 7,560 feet (2,300 m). This road provides access to the three publicly owned areas of Raton Mesa: Surgarite Canyon State Park 3,600 acres (15 km2) in New Mexico and Lake Dorothey State Wildlife Area 5,152 acres (20.85 km2) and James M. John State Wildlife Area 8,339 acres (33.75 km2) in Colorado.[6] From the parking area at Lake Dorothey, the summit of Fisher's Peak is a straight-line distance of about eight miles by an unmarked trail.[7]
Much of the Colorado portion of the Raton Mesa, including Fisher's Peak, was owned by the Crazy French Ranch until 2019 when the 19,200 acres (7,800 ha) ranch was purchased to become a Colorado state park. Funds to purchase the ranch came jointly from Great Outdoors Colorado, the funding arm of theColorado Lottery,The Nature Conservancy, and theTrust for Public Land.[8]
