A wide-angle view of the Cerrillos Hills from a distance of about 5 miles, looking
toward the northeast. Buffalo Mountain is due east in this view. Due north is a
bit beyond the left side of this panorama.
This picture was taken from the picnic area of one of the more curious productions
of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the Galisteo Dam. The 170-foot tall, earthfill
Galisteo Dam -- to the left, not visible in this picture -- on Galisteo Creek, was
completed in 1970 and is intended only for floodwater and sediment control for the
benefit of the Rio Grande, 11 miles to the west (farther to the left). This dam
has an uncontrolled outlet; the little water there is in Galisteo Creek flows
through it without hindrance. But the trapped sediment is fertile ground for a
small willow forest. This February photo shows the willows in their winter dormancy.
Cerrillos Village is 4½ miles distant. Santa Fe and the snowy Sangre de Cristo
Mountains are about 30 miles away.
This website is maintained by the Cerrillos
Hills Park Coalition
and is dedicated to the creation, enhancement and stewardship
of an historical, recreational, and cultural open space in
the
Cerrillos Hills, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA
