Skip to content

Kit Carson Mesa

Kit Carson Mesa, seen from above at true elevation

Kit Carson Mesa rises to 2,078 m in New Mexico. Mount Phillips stands 3,553 m to the northwest, 16 miles off. The nearest named place is María de la Luz Beaubien Maxwell Historic Marker, a historic site 1.3 miles away. Santa Fe Trail passes 0.4 miles off.

The story

Kit Carson Mesa is the name of a mesa near Rayado in Colfax County, New Mexico. New Mexico State Road 21 runs adjacent to the mesa. It is named after Kit Carson, who is said to have been the first English speaking traveler to visit the town of Rayado.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q49041929, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

What the record says

Elevation
2078 m

How to reach it

Coordinates36.34642, -104.92667

Overlooks nearby

Named places within 25 miles

Peaks
Historic sites: 12
Parks: 12
Attractions: 7
  • Rayado: 1.5 mi
  • Leadership School Campfire: 1.7 mi
  • Homebound Ampitheater: 7.5 mi
  • Covered Wagon: 7.7 mi
  • Welcome Wagon: 7.9 mi
Museums: 6
  • Kit Carson Museum: 1.4 mi
  • Villa Philmonte: 7.9 mi
  • Old Aztec Mill Museum: 11.0 mi
  • Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center: 18.5 mi
  • Russell’s Truck & Car Muzeum: 19.9 mi
Artworks: 3
  • The Wonders of Discovery: 7.7 mi
  • Tipi: 10.9 mi
  • Eagle: 23.6 mi
Cliffs: 2
Springs: 2
  • Crooked Creek Spring: 13.5 mi
  • Apache Spring: 24.9 mi
Picnic sites: 1
Ghost towns: 1

Other summits around it

The highest named summits within 19.9 miles of Kit Carson Mesa. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Mount PhillipsNW 305°3,553 m15.8 mi
Bunkhouse Bare PointNW 305°3,550 m15.5 mi
Tolby PeakNW 306°3,513 m17.0 mi
Comanche PeakNW 307°3,445.2 m15.2 mi
Agua Fria PeakW 274°3,364 m15.7 mi
Big RedNW 306°3,358.9 m14.0 mi
Garcia PeakWNW 295°3,323 m15.9 mi
Black MountainNW 309°3,295 m11.2 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:0418:3819:12
June solstice05:4319:4320:21
September equinox06:4818:2418:58
December solstice07:0816:0916:49

Local time (America/Denver).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F333542485766696761514033
Precip in0.70.61.01.51.71.73.03.11.81.20.60.4

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Cimarron 4 SW, 8 mi away.

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikidata
  • USGS Geographic Names Information System feature 890726 — Kit Carson Mesa, Colfax County, New Mexico.

OpenStreetMap element node/357575898

More peaks in New Mexico

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to Kit Carson Mesa.

Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens