Sugarite Canyon State Park

manager's residence.The 40-stall barn once housed mules that were used in the coal mines. In the winter, many of the trails are open for cross-country skiing. Other winter activities include tubing, ice skating, and ice fishing. In Colorado, an additional 5,40Gacre tract has been set aside for recreational use lies just north of the park. About 2 miles north of the border, Sugarite (formerly Ra- ton) Ski Basin and lodge offer beginner and advanced downhill skiing. Wildlife abounds in SugariteCanyon State t\- t-__r Park. Visitors frequently see elk, mule deer, L--j + Sugarite canyon State Park ouaternary ffitatrs Facilities SugariteCanyon StatePark, once the site ffi Artificialfill (coatwaste piles) of a thriving coal-miningcamp, is one of the Most of the visitors to Sugarite Canyon Tertiaryand Cretaceous newest parks in the New Mexico State Park State Park are fishermen.Two lakes in the and RecreationDivision. It was established statepark, Lake Alice and Lake Maloya, are l-Tb-'lBasatt as a state park in 1985,but the canyon has stockedperiodically with cutthroatand rain- lTpclPoison Canyon Formation beena recreationalattraction in northeastern bow trout by the New Mexico Gameand Fish New Mexico for decades.Sugarite Canyon Department. A third lake across the border Raton Formation StatePark is locatedabout 5 miles northeast in Colorado, Lake Dorothy, is open for fish- Tru-upper unit (Tertiary) of Raton via NM-72 and NM-525 (paved). ing as well. Boatsare allowed on Lake Ma- Krl-lower unit (Cretaceous) The elevationin the park rangesfrom about loya, the largest of the lakes where a boat TrinrdadSandstone 5,900 ft to 8,400 ft. This heavily wooded ramp is available; however, gasoline-pow- mountain park has somethingfoi everyone ered boatsare prohibited. l- Kp-lPierreShate yearround. More than 55,000visitors in 1988 Other facilities in the park include nu- enjoyed activities ranging from hiking, merous hiking trails, interpretative trails y"." camping, picnicking, and fishing to cross- S"1..r!t ,oo through the ruins of the old settlement of -'7 country skiing. This is one of the few state Sugarite, two campgrounds with restrooms Riue, parks in New Mexico that allows seasonal and RV hookups, a group shelter, and the bow hunting. At the visitor's center,which visitor's center. The visitor's center is the ,/aoaa is located in the old U.S.PostOffice, manv newly restored Post Office of old Sugarite ^ Ruinsor buildinqs historical displays are under construi- (Fig. 1). A short distancenorth of the post of Sugarite tion,including a mockup of a coal mine. Trails office is a stonebarn and a house, now uti- R Mine are maintained through the ruins of the set- lized by the State Park and Recreation Di- tlement and past coal dumps and mines. vision as a shop and warehouseand the park ,r Adit

FIGURE l-Restored Post Office, now the park visitor,s center. The coal FIGURE 2-View near Soda Pocket campground looking to the south down mines and ruins of the town of Sugarite lie behind the building. Sugarite Canyon.

May 1990 Nat Mexim Geology { ol Barela j M€sa ;3 I r landslides prcn rc t { stles I -"i

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FIGURE 3-Geologic map of Sugarite Canyon State Park (by C. H. Pillmore from Scott and Pillmore, 1989)

New Mexico Geology May l99J coyote, raccoon, squirrel, chipmunk, and the Maxwell Land Grant consistedof about SugariteNo. 1 and 2 mines in 1901and 1902. small rodents. Mammals such as the gray 2,680 mi': by 7866 (Kelehea 1984; Pearson, Productionwas low during the first few years. fox, black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, mink, 1961).Maxwell sold the grant to an English The Chicarica Coal Company began produc- badger, and beaver also live in the park. Nu- svndicate in 1870. and the Maxwell Land tion in 1910or 1911.The St. Louis and Rocky merous amphibians and reptiles are found Grant and Railway Company was formed Mountain Coal Company took over opera- in Sugarite. The visitor should be especially (Laurie, 1976). Anti-grant sentiment was tions in 1912.A railroad line, initially con- careful of rattlesnakes and scorpions in the basedon land-ownershipdisputes between structed in 1905to Lake Alice, was cut back ruins. Numerous species of birds including settlersand the company.In 1880,the com- to the town of Sugaritein 1911(Scott, 1986) the golden eagle and wild turkey also can be pany went bankrupt and reorganizedunder and used to transport coal to Raton for do- seen. a group of Dutch investors.Ownership dis- mestic heat and to drive the train engines. Grassland meadows occur in places putes increased, erupting into the Colfax ln 1912. the mine on the east side of the throughout the canyon, on top of the mesas, County War. Finally, in 1887,the U.S. Su- canyon was opened. and on benches that formed on top of land- preme Court ruled in favor of the company. The Sugarite coal camp was establishedin slides similar to the one on the east side of The settlers, about 600 people with about 1908and was one of the last areas in the Bartlett Mesa where Soda Pocket camp- 65,000head of cattle, 3,600horses, 16,000 Ratoncoal field to be developed.Immigrants ground is located. The benches and slopes sheep,and 2,000goats (Pearson,1961), either from Europe and fapan settledin Sugarite, in Sugarite Canyon are covered with Gambel left or purchasedland from the company. which became known as one of the more oak, ponderosa pine, New Mexico locust; ju- Meanwhile, the town of Raton, estab- pleasant coal camps in the area with its niper and pinon pine (Fig. 2). A mixed con- lished in 1879,continued to grow. One of mountain settingand running stream.How- ifer forest is found in the wetter sites along the major concernsof the townspeoplewas ever, the population never exceeded1,000 north-facing slopes of the canyon and higher a reliable water supply. The Santa Fe Rail- people. The camp (Fig. a) included a mer- mesas. Douglas fir, white fir, ponderosa pine, road, at that time the largestuser of water, cantile store, schoolhouse, post office, and juniper and various shrubs grow in these built the first waterworks on Bartlett Mesa community center. Only the Post Office and areas where snow tends to remain longer. west of Sugarite Canyon and piped water the mule barn still remain intact at the site. Riparian vegetation is confined to the wa- into town. By 1891,additional water was re- After the coal mines closedinl942, the build- tercourses and includes cottonwood, willow, quired bv both the town and the railroad,so ings were either abandoned or moved to Ra- New Mexico locust, chokecherry and other Sugarite-Canyonwas selectedfor water de- ton. The railroad was abandoned in 1944 shrubs, and cattails. velopment.Lake Alice and laterLake Maloya (Scott, 1985), marking the end of another Sugarite is believed to be the anglicized and Lake Dorothy were added as reservoirs mining town in northern New Mexico. version of Chicarica, the original name of the for Raton'swater supply.The lakesalso sup- The City of Raton establisheda municipal canyon and adjacent mesa. Chicarica is de- plied the town with ice in the winter. The park in Sugarite Canyon, including the 5,400 rived from either the Spanish name, chicory, Raton waterworks project was one of the first acres in Colorado, in order to protect the for the wild endive plant growing in the can- systemsbuilt in the territory of New Meico watershed. Only the 3,600-acretract in New yon or from the Comanche or Ute name for and is still in operationtoday, supplying much Mexico (Fig. 3) makes up the state park; the a species of spotted bird which lived in the of Raton'swater. Colorado tract, including Lake Dorothy, is canyon (Pearce, 1965; Keleher, 79U). One of the main reasonsfor the presence currently part of the Lake Dorothy State of the railroad in the Raton areawas the dis- Wildlife Area administered by the State of History covery of vastquantities of coal.The Hartsell Colorado.Sugarite Ski Basin(formerly Raton a baseelevation of about 8,000 Folsom man and various Indian groups, mine (Fig. 3) was worked from 1894to 1899. Ski Basin),at 2 mi northeast of the border including the Apaches, Moache Utes, The Meredith mine was alsoworked prior to ft, lies about Jicarilla is and operated by descendants and Comanches, occupied and/or traveled 1900.The Raton Fuel Company opened the and owned through Chicarica Canyon, now known as Sugarite Canyon. Later, Spanish explorers, mountain men, trappers, and traders trav- eled through the canyon using this route through the rugged mountains separating the Rio Grande, Canadian, and Arkansas Rivers as an alternative to Raton Pass. However, settlement was slow in coming to Sugarite Canyon and the surrounding area because of Indian conflicts and land-ownership dis- putes between settlers and the owners of the Maxwell Land Grant. Extreme winter con- ditions and the rugged mountain terrain dis- couraged the first settlers. By the 1870's, most of the Indians were restricted to reserva- tions, and newcomers began to settle in the Sugarite area. Sugarite Canyon was once part of the Max- well Land Grant (Fig. 3; Keleher, 1984), which was a grant of land to Guadalupe Miranda and Charles Hipolite Trotier de Beaubien from the Mexican government and was estab- lished in 1841.The eastern boundary was on Chicarica Mesa (Keleher, 1984), now known as Horse Mesa (Fig. 3), and the western boundary was at the present Colfax-Taos County Line. It became known as the Max- well Land Grant after Lucien Maxwell in- herited part of the original grant and FIGURE 4-Sugarite camp and store in the early 1900's(courtesy of the Raton Museum and the State purchased the rest. He added acreage until Park and RecreationDivision, Energy, Minerals, and Natural ResourcesDept ).

May 1990 Nao MexicoGeology of Robertand Ruth Walton,homesteaders at WEST EAST the site in 1903. o 2000f1 F-r-# A' A o,5 _Tb Geology Sugarite Canyon State Park is part of the -/ Raton Basin,a structuralbasin that extends Tru rru from Cimarron, New Mexico, northeastward ./ to Huerfano Park, Colorado, about 100 mi long and as much as 60 mi wide (Woodward, r{ Kt, 1987).The basin formed during the Laramide 7000 Kp Kp Kp as the San Luis highland rose to the west. Erosion of the highlands during and after FIGURE S-Cross section acrossSugarite Canyon. Vertical scaletwice horizontal scale uplift provided sediment that filled the basin (Pillmoreand Flores,1987). The oldestrocks exposed in SugariteCan- yon formed from mud deposited in the Cre- taceoussea and belong to the [,ate Cretaceous Pierre Shale(Figs. 3, 5). The PierreShale is SwamPr* overlain by the white sandstonesof the Trin- I idad Sandstonethat were depositedin delta- front and barrierenvironments along the coast of the Cretaceoussea (Fig. 5; Pillmore and Flores,1987). As the Cretaceousseas receded eastward away from New Mexico, the coastalmargin also migrated eastward. Sand, which later solidified into sandstone, was deposited by meandering rivers and streams, whereas mud, which becameshale, was deposited in the adjacentfloodplains. Peat,which became coal,was depositedin poorly drained swamps (Fig. 6). The floodplain and alluvial-plain de- posits, known as the Raton Formation, were deposited unconformably on top of the Trin- idad Sandstone.The Raton Formation is of Late Cretaceous(about 66 m.y.) to Paleocene (about 57 m.y.) age and consistsof about 1,100ft of sandstone,siltstone, mudstone, coal, conglomerate,and carbonaceousshale. Ferns, leaf imprints, and other plant material can be found in this unit. The Raton For- mation is divided into three zones:the lower coal zone, the barren series,and the upper FIGURE5-Generalized drawing of depositionalenvironments of the PierreShale and RatonFormations coal zone (Pillmore and Flores, 1987).The (modified after Flores, 1987, and Flores and Pillmore, 1987). Sugaritecoal bed is at the top of the 100-ft- thick lower coalzone. This unit consistsof a basal conglomerate(not present in the park) and sandstone overlain by interfingering age rocks with the Cretaceous-Tertiary believe the massextinctions at that time were sandstone,shale, mudstone, and coal. The boundary at or near the top of the zone(Pili- a result of a catastrophicevent, such as the Sugarite coal is the lowest economic grade more and Flores, 1987). At Sugarite, this impact of a largemeteor or asteroidthat pro- of coal in the RatonFormation. In otherhreas boundary is indicatedby 1-2-inch-thickka- duced the shock-metamorphosedmineral of the Raton Basinthe coalsin the lower zone olinite-rich clay near the top of the Sugarite grains (Pillmore and Flores, 1987;Alvarez et are not of economic thickness or quality. coal (Fig. 7). This clay bed contains is char- al., 1980;Orth et al., 1987).Other scientists The coal is bituminous and almost 6 ft thick acterized by anomalously high concentra- believe the mass extinctions were a result of at the Sugarite mines. It is noncoking but tions of iridium and other platinum-group a seriesof intense volcaniceruptions (Officer has a high heating value and burns freely metals, along with the absenceof certain pol- and Drake, 1985).The impacttheory and the without much clinker (Lee, t924; Pillmore, len species and the presence of shock- volcanic-eruptiontheory further suggestthat 1976). The Sugarite mines were adits, tun- metamorphosed quartz and feldspar grains a large amount of dust was ejectedinto the nels driven into the hillside along the coal (Pillmore et al., 1984; Pillmore and Flores, atmosphere, blocking sunlight and resulting seams.Mules were used in the mines to move 1987).Iridium occurs in very low concentra- in the decline of plant life and subsequently coal cars to the surface where a tram was tions in rocksof the Earth'strust but is more animal life that depended on plants for food. built to haul the coal down the steep slopes concentrated in meteorites and rocks from This material settled and formed the bound- to the bottom of the canyon(Lee, 1924). Rail- deeper in the crust. This clay bed has been arv layer we now see in both marine and way cars transported th6 coai to Ratonwhere found throughout the Raton Basin and in a nonmirine sedimentaryrocks throughout the it was used as domesticfuel and as fuel to narrow belt that extends from New Metco world. Other scientists believe the mass-ex- power the locomotives.Total coal production to Alberta, Canada.The CretaceouFTertiary tinction event hasbeen exaggerated; instead from Sugarite amounted to 562,497tons or boundary is known throughout the world for they suggest extinction occurred over a pe- less than 1,7ool the total coal production from the mass extinction of numerous animal and riod of several million vears. Sedimentarv Colfax County (New Mexico State Mine In- plant species,including dinosaurs. rocks deposited at that time may have beeh spector'sreports). Interpretations of the CretaceourTertiary eroded, so the problem may be simply miss- The lower coal zone contains Cretaceous- boundary are controversial. Many scientists

New Mexico Geology May l99O ing rocks, not mass extinctions (Archibald Summary Lee, W T, 1924,Coal resourcesof the Raton coal fields, and Clemons, 1982;Rigby and Fassett,1989). Colfax County, New Mexico: U.S Geological Survey, Sugarite Canyon StatePark is an enjoyable Bulletin 752, 254 pp. Additional work is needed to resolve this visit for almosteveryone, anytime of the year. Officer, C. B., and Drake, C. L., 1985,Terminal Creta- controversy. Geologic processesformed the rugged land- ceousenvironmental events:Science, v. 227, pp. 116l- Most of the barren series and upper coal scape offering picturesque views and a va- 1767. zone in Sugarite Canyon are coveredby veg- Orth, C. J., Gilmore, J. S., and Knight, J. D , 1987,Iridium riety of vegetation and wildlife. One of the anomaly at the Cretaceous-Tertiaryboundary in the etation, landslide debris, and debris from the first waterworks systems in New Mexico is Raton Basin: New Mexico Geological Society, Guide- basaltic mesa caprocks (Fig. 2). The barren still in operation in Sugarite Canyon. Su- book to 30th Field Conference,pp.255-269. names, a geo- seriesconsists of about 500ft of cliff-forming garite was once a booming coal-mining town; Pearce,T. M., 1965, New Mexico place channel sandstone with minor slope-form- graphical dictionary: University of New Mexico Press, now only foundations, a few restored build- Albuquerque, 187 pp ing siltstone, shale, mudstone, and a few ings, and the coal dumps are left. Above all, Pearson,| 8., 1961,,The Maxwell Land Grant: University very thin coal seams.These rocks were de- Sugarite offers varied numerous recreational of Oklahoma Press,Norman, 305 pp. beds of the Raton posited by meandering streams and in ad- activities available year round. Pillmore, C. L , 1975,Commercial coal jacent floodplain and alluvial-plain coal field, Colfax County, New Mexico: New Mexico AcxNowr,spcMENrs-I especially want to Geological Society, Guidebook to 27th Field Confer- environments (Flores and Pillmore, 1987; thank CharlesPillmore who reviewed an ear- ence/ pp. 227)47. Pillmore and Flores,1987). lier version of the manuscript and provided Pillmore,C. L., and Flores,R. M, T9ST,Stratigraphyand The upper coal zone, above the barren se- the geologic map (Fig. 3). Critical reviews by depositional environments of the Cretaceous-Tertiary ries, consists of about 500 ft of floodplain boundary interual and associatedrocks, Raton Basin, Gretchen Roybal and Dave Love are also ap- New Mexico and Colorado; in Fassett, E., and Rigby, sandstone,mudstone, and f. siltstone, shale preciated. Gretchen Roybal provided infor- K. B , Jr (eds ), Cretaceous-Tertiaryboundary of the interbeddedwith coaland carbonaceousshale mation on coal mining. Discussions with San Juan and Raton Basins,northem New Mexico and that were deposited in swamps. Exposures Robert Dye, 'Sugarite Canyon State Park southem Colorado:Geological Society ofAmerica, Spe- of the upper coal zone can be seen near the cial Paper 209, pp 111-130 Manager, and the ladies of the Raton Cham- C L Tschudy, R. H., Orth, C. Gilmore, dam at Lake Maloya (Fig. 8). Pillmore, , f., ber of Commerce are appreciated. Lynne f. S , and Knight, l. D., 1984,Geologic framework of Tertiary basalt flows overlie sedimentary McNeil typed the manuscript and Michael nonmarine Cretaceous-Tertiaryboundary sites, Raton rocks and cap the mesasbordering Sugarite Wooldridge drafted the figures. Darren Basin, New Mexico and Colorado: Science,v 223, no Canyon State Park. They were erupted as 4&7, pp 1180-1182 Dresser is acknowledged for technical assis- Rigby,J K , Jr., and Fassett,I E ,1989, LocalCretaceous- broad flow sheetsranging in thicknessfrom tance. Tertiary stratigraphic problems and interpretations of 10 to 100ft. The basaltis fine to coarsegrained global events sunounding continental boundary: 28th and consists of olivine and plagiclase phe- Intemational GeologicalCongress, Abstracts, v. 2, pp References nocrysts (Stormer, 1972a);it has been dated 698-699 Scott, G R, 1986, Historic kail maps of the Raton and in places at about 3 to 8 m.y. old (Stormer, Alvarez, L W., Alvarez,W, Asaro, F., and Michel, H V, 1980,Extratetrestrial cause for the CretaceouFTertiary Springer 30' x 60' quadrangles,New Mexicoand Colo- 1,972b).Hiking trails at Little Horse Mesa and extinction: Science,v. 208, pp 1@5-1108 rado: U.S. GeologicalSuruey, MiscellaneousGeologic Horse Mesa allow the visitor to examine the Archibald, J D., and Clemens, W A.,1982, Late Creta- Investigation, Illap l-7641.,scale 1:100,0fi), 10 pp. basalt up close. ceous extinctions: American Scientist, v.70, pp 377- Scott,G R., and Pillmore, C. L., 1989,Geologic and struc- ture contour maps of the Raton rh' x 1" quadrangle, After eruption of the basalt, the Sugarite- 385 Flores, R M , 1987,Sedimentology of Upper Cretaceous Colfax and Union Counties, New Mexico and Las Ani- Raton area continued to be uplifted. Streams and Tertiary silicoclasticsand coalsin the Raton Basin, mas County, Colorado: U S. GeologicalSuruey, Open- and rivers cut into the basalt-cappedmesas New Mexico and Colorado:New Mexico GeologicalSo- file Report 89282, scale1:100,000. and slowly eroded valleys such as Sugarite ciety, Guidebook to 38th Field Conference, PP. 255- Stormer, J. C, Jr , 1972a,Mineralogy and pebology of the Raton-Clayton volcanic field, northeastem New Canyon. Even today, this erosion is contin- 2& Flores, R M , and Pillmore, C L.,7987, Tectoniccontrol Mexjco: GeologicalSociety of America, Bulletin, v 83, urn8. in alluvial paleoarchitectureof the Cretaceousand Ter- pp 329-3322. Landslidesand talus slooesare common tiarv Raton Basin, Colorado and New Mexico; in Eth- Stomer, J. C., Jr , 1972b, Ages and nature of volcanic along the baseof the basaltflows. This ma- ridge, F. G., Flores,R M., and Hawey, M D (eds.), activity on the southern High Plains, New Mexico and Colorado: Geological Society of America, Bulletin, v. terial was displaced after Sugarite Canyon Recentdevelopments in fluvial sedimentology:Society of EconomicPaleontologists and Mineralogists,Special 83, pp 2M3)M8. was formed. Rain and snow melt seepinto Publication 39, pp 3f1-320. Woodward, L A., 1987, Tectonic framework of north- cracksof the exposedrock surfaces.When Keleher,W A , 1984,Maxwell Land Grant, a New Mexico eastern New Mexico and adjacent parts of Colorado, the water freezes,it expands the cracksand item: University of New Mexico Press,Albuquerque, Oklahoma, and Texas:New Mexico GeologicalSociety, Guidebook to 38th Field Conference,pp.67-71.. eventually causesthe rock to break into an- 16 PP Laurie, K P., 1976,History of VermejoPark: New Mexico gular boulders, which slowly move downhill Geological Society, Guidebook to 27th Field Confer- -Virginia T. Mclemore forming a talus slope of broken rubble. ence, pp 87-92.

FIGURE 7-The CretaceourTertiary boundary in the Sugarite coal marked FIGURE 8-Carbonaceous shale and coal seamsnear dam spillway at Lake by thin, white clay under the knife. Courtesy of C. L. Pillmore. Maloya, looking east. Cut is about 30 ft high.

May 1990 Nau Mexico Geology