Published in 1958 from 1953 survey work, the US Geological Survey’s “Frijoles” presents a richly contoured portrait of north-central New Mexico at a transformative moment in American history. At a scale of 1:62,500, it places Los Alamos within its dramatic setting of mesas, canyons, forested uplands, and volcanic high country, while also situating the area in relation to Santa Fe, the Rio Grande, and nearby Pueblo lands. The title evokes Frijoles Canyon, one of the defining landscapes of Bandelier National Monument, where archaeology, geology, and high-desert ecology converge. The map’s shaded relief and precise contouring give the terrain a sculptural quality, revealing the abrupt elevation changes that shaped settlement, travel, and scientific development in this rugged region.

The United States Geological Survey brought a particular authority to maps of this kind, combining field observation, geodetic control, and systematic national cartography. By the mid-twentieth century, USGS topographic sheets had become indispensable tools for engineers, land managers, scientists, and the military, especially in landscapes where elevation and access were crucial. Here, the cartographers translate northern New Mexico’s complex volcanic plateau into a disciplined language of contours, drainage lines, roads, trails, and public lands. The shaded relief heightens the visual drama, allowing Pajarito Mountain, the high peaks, deeply incised canyons, and broad valleys to read almost three-dimensionally. It is both a technical government document and an elegant study of terrain.

Los Alamos gives the map much of its historical charge. Once a remote mesa community, it became world-famous during World War II as the secret site of the Manhattan Project, where scientists and engineers developed the first atomic weapons. By 1953, the year of the survey, Los Alamos was emerging from wartime secrecy into a more permanent postwar identity, shaped by federal research, scientific expansion, and Cold War urgency. The surrounding road network, forest lands, and steep-walled canyons underscore why the site was chosen: isolated, defensible, and physically separated from the older settlements below. The map captures this unusual relationship between advanced science and ancient landscape, placing a pivotal modern laboratory amid ancestral homelands and volcanic wilderness.

South and east, Santa Fe anchors the broader cultural geography of the sheet, its long history contrasting with the newer federal presence at Los Alamos. The map also names Santa Clara Pueblo and references Pueblo lands associated with Taos and San Ildefonso, reminders that this region’s human history stretches back centuries before American statehood or modern laboratories. Bandelier National Monument appears as a landscape of canyons, mesas, and archaeological significance, preserving traces of Ancestral Puebloan communities in the cliffs and canyon floors. Baca Location No. 6 and Valle Grande point toward the great volcanic basin of the Valles Caldera, one of the Southwest’s most striking geological formations. Together, these names create a layered record of Indigenous, Spanish, American, and scientific New Mexico.

The physical geography is the map’s great spectacle. The Rio Grande cuts its enduring course through the region, while tributary canyons descend from forested uplands toward the river corridor. National Forest lands frame much of the scene, their boundaries interlacing with trails, roads, monuments, pueblos, and mountainous terrain. Contour lines crowd tightly along canyon walls and high slopes, then relax across valleys and volcanic openings, making the landscape’s rhythm immediately legible. Pajarito Mountain and neighboring high peaks rise as commanding features, while Valle Grande suggests the immense scale of the ancient volcanic forces that formed the Jemez Mountains. The result is a compelling mid-century record of a place where natural grandeur, Indigenous continuity, and nuclear-age history meet.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Los Alamos
• Santa Fe
• Cañon
• Baca Location No. 6
• Valle Grande
• Santa Clara Pueblo
• Bandelier National Monument
• Pueblos of Taos and San Ildefonso
• Rio Grande
• National Forest lands
• High Peaks, including Pajarito Mountain
• Several unnamed trails and roads

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
• Historical 1:62,500 topographical map of Los Alamos, New Mexico and the surrounding area
• Dated 1953, with a 1958 imprint
• The USGS played an important role in surveying and mapping the United States during the mid-20th century
• Los Alamos became significant during World War II as the site of the Manhattan Project
• Santa Fe is noted for its rich cultural heritage
• Features shaded relief techniques to illustrate terrain and emphasize elevation changes
• Shows rugged topography with mountains, valleys, and detailed contour lines
• Reflects a period of significant development in New Mexico, especially connected to the growth of Los Alamos and its role in United States nuclear history

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.