The Tusas Mountains are a mountain range in northern New Mexico, extending slightly into southern Colorado. They are considered the southeasternmost part of the San Juan Mountains.[1] Grouse Mesa, 11,407 feet (3,477 m),[3] is the highest peak in the range.[1] The mountains are located to the west of Taos and northwest of Santa Fe. The Tusas Mountains are a wide region of upland mesas and gently sloping mountains, dissected in places by deep canyons.[4]
Much of the western part of the range, also known as the Brazos Mountains, is in the privately owned Tierra Amarilla Land Grant. The terrain consists of harder granite and metamorphic rock, and is more rugged than the eastern side.[5] It includes features such as the Brazos Cliffs and several small mountain lakes including Hidden Lake and Sugar Loaf Lake. It is drained primarily by the Rio Chama and its tributary the Rio Brazos.
Gold and silver were discovered in the Tusas in 1881, but the deposits were of low quality and the area never saw significant mining activity.[7]
In 1986 the United States Board on Geographic Names redefined the Brazos Mountains, originally considered a separate mountain range, as part of the Tusas Mountains, although the old name is still locally used.[7]
^"PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved October 2, 2023. To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.
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