Tres Piedras, New Mexico facts for kids
Tres Piedras is a small community in northern New Mexico, United States. Its name comes from Spanish and means "three rocks." This village is right next to the Carson National Forest.
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What is Tres Piedras Like?
Tres Piedras is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Taos. It sits west of the Rio Grande river, right on U.S. Route 64. The village is high up, about 8,000 feet (2,438 meters) above sea level. It is part of the southern San Juan Mountains, which are a section of the larger Rocky Mountains.
Tres Piedras is on the edge of a flat area covered in sagebrush. You can also see many ponderosa pine trees growing right in the village. It is very close to the Carson National Forest, a large natural area.
Weather in Tres Piedras
The weather in Tres Piedras changes a lot throughout the year. Summers are generally warm and pleasant. Winters can be very cold, with temperatures often dropping below freezing. The area gets some rain, especially in the summer months. It also gets snow during the winter.
A Look Back in Time: History of Tres Piedras
The earliest maps from the 1770s called this area "Piedras de los Carneros." This means "Rocks of the Sheep." It might have been named for the bighorn sheep that lived there.
For a long time, the land west of the Rio Grande was used by nomadic groups. These included the Ute, Comanche, Kiowa, and Jicarilla Apache peoples. Spanish settlers, called pobladores, mostly lived east of the river. They did not settle in this area until after the Mexican-American War (1846–1848). The U.S. Army then came to the region.
How the Village Began
The village of Tres Piedras was settled in 1879. It was named after three large granite rocks that stick out of the ground. It started as a small village focused on ranching and cutting timber. Over time, more people moved here.
- Homesteaders came to claim land.
- Sawmills were built to process wood.
- People tried small-scale dry farming, growing crops without much irrigation.
- There was also some mining activity.
Some Mormon pioneers from the San Luis Valley to the north also came to Tres Piedras. They helped the community grow.
Nearby Old Villages
Around the early 1900s, other villages were established nearby:
- Hopewell: About 20 miles (32 kilometers) west, it was a gold-mining town.
- Las Tusas: Nine miles (14 kilometers) west, this was a farming community. It was mostly Hispanic and spread along a river valley.
- No Agua: Nine miles (14 kilometers) north, this village was on the railway line. Its name means "no water."
Today, these three places are almost empty.
The Chili Line Railroad
From 1880 to 1941, Tres Piedras was a stop on the narrow gauge Chili Line railroad. This train line ran between Antonito, Colorado and Santa Fe, New Mexico. You can still see the old railroad water tower in the village today.
Fun Things to Do
Tres Piedras is known as a great place for granite climbing. It is one of only two such climbing areas west of the Rio Grande in New Mexico.
