| Raton Mesa | |
|---|---|
 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. | |
| 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 in Las Animas County, Colorado. The highest point of Raton Mesa is Fishers Peak. In 1967, the Department of the Interior designated it as a National Natural Landmark.[1][2]
Raton Mesa is the namesake for Raton Pass and also lends its name to the cluster of mesas that separate northeastern New Mexico from southeastern Colorado, collectively recognized as the Raton Mesas (formerly known as the Raton Mountains).
Raton Mesas are volcanic in origin caused by lava flows which solidified into basalt. Over time the softer sedimentary 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 the Oklahoma panhandle. In addition to Raton Mesa proper, the major mesas within this cluster include Bartlett Mesa, Horseshoe Mesa, and Johnson Mesa. East of the major mesas, between Branson, Colorado, and the Black 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.