Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Sierra County, New Mexico

Cuchillo

Unincorporated community in New Mexico, US.

Record

About Cuchillo

Cuchillo, originally known as Cuchillo Negro, is an unincorporated community in Sierra County, New Mexico, United States. It was named for Apache chieftain Baishan, known by his Spanish name Cuchillo Negro ("Black Knife"), who was killed in a skirmish with American troops in 1857.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Cuchillo, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Cuchillo is

USGS topographic map around Cuchillo
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

5 historic USGS maps cover Cuchillo

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Cuchillo

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our New Mexico index.

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Cuchillo": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Cuchillo, New Mexico": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q22060886.
  4. USGS GNIS 898752.
  5. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  6. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).