Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Lincoln County, New Mexico

Placitas

Historic village in New Mexico.

Record

About Placitas

Placitas, also known as La Placita and La Placita del Rio Bonito, was a settlement in Lincoln County, New Mexico The unincorporated hamlet is now named Lincoln. The area was originally inhabited by local indigenous peoples, the Mogollon, later the Piros, followed by the Mescalero Apache.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Placitas, 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 Placitas is

USGS topographic map around Placitas
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

7 historic USGS maps cover Placitas

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 Placitas

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

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Placitas, Lincoln County, New Mexico": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q104867511.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).