You’ll find no shortage of haunted places in New Mexico, especially around Cimmaron, in northeast New Mexico. Cimmaron is primarily known for its connection to the Wild (and bawdy) West, and also its numerous ghosts. You’ll hear stories of them taunting guests at the St. James Hotel in Cimarron, possibly the most haunted hotel in New Mexico. More than 20 people met a violent “old Western” end at the hotel, so it makes sense that some spirits might be lurking. While the St. James Hotel has a sinister past, it’s the picturesque Urraca Mesa at Philmont Scout Ranch, just outside of Cimarron, that might win the award for creepiest place in New Mexico. Don’t let the ethereal beauty of this mesa fool you. Despite its scenic vistas and awe-inspiring beauty, there are plenty of horror stories about Urraca Mesa in New Mexico. This place has a history that’s much deeper and darker than it lets on.

Philmont Scout Ranch covers 214 square miles of rugged New Mexico wilderness.
Photo Credit
More than one million scouts and adventurers have been through the camp, which was established by the Boy Scouts back in 1938. From stories of lost scouts to tales of eerie blue lights to the Urraca Mesa skull, many of the campers here have heard Anasazi camp horror stories about this place.
Urraca's history extends back to the time of the Anasazi, also known as the Ancestral Puebloans. They lived in the area from around A.D. 200 to A.D. 1300.
Chris Brooks/ Flickr
Before it became a scout ranch, Philmont was a stop along the Santa Fe Trail. It also was a prospecting camp after the Civil War, before being turned into a cattle ranch. Several Native American tribes also lived in this area. However, long before the Apache, Ute, and Europeans lived in this area, the Ancestral Puebloans called the region home... at least, until they all suddenly disappeared.
There are quite a few creepy things about Urraca Mesa in New Mexico.
Neil Saunders/Flickr
For one, the word urraca means magpie in Spanish. Magpies are part of the cunning crow family. They are traditionally associated with deception. In many cultures, they are seen as messengers of death.
Compasses don't always work on Urraca Mesa.
By Primeromundo at English Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons
It's said that the best ghost stories contain an element of truth. Since Urraca Mesa has large deposits of lodestone, which is naturally magnetic, it makes sense that compasses don't work. That means that scouts can easily get lost. Lodestone also attracts lightning, so it's not surprising that Urraca Mesa has the most lightning strikes in New Mexico.

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When modern-era tribes moved to the area, they sensed evil spirits lurking here.
Austin Poorbaugh/Alltrails
It is said that a medicine man studied petroglyphs at Urraca Mesa and determined that it was the site of a great ancient battle. Good against evil had been fought atop the mesa. To keep the dark forces at bay, it was believed that the Anasazi entered a portal to the underworld. A powerful shaman then sealed the portal behind them to keep the evil locked out.
In truth, Urraca Mesa somewhat resembles a skull, so it's easy to understand why there are so many horror stories about this place.
David Stillman/Flickr
Even since the early days, people thought the north part of the mesa looked like a skull. An eye in the skull (to the west) is said to be the door to the underworld that the shaman sealed.
Cat totems guard the site.
Matt McDaniel/Flickr
The shaman placed cat totems around the mesa. The cats are said to scare away the magpies who can open the portal. Legend says that if all the totems are destroyed, the portal will open and evil will be unleashed. At last count, only two of the original totems remain.
Scouts report seeing weird things on Urraca Mesa.
Doug Neidholdt/Alltrails
In one account, a scout hiking the mesa at night found himself near the eye. He heard an unusual noise. When he turned, he saw a dark-skinned hairless figure watching him.
When the scout saw the dark figure watching him, he booked it down the mesa. About halfway down, he stopped to catch his breath. He looked back up the trail and saw a different figure, awash in glowing blue light.
Doug Neidholdt/Alltrails
Native people from the area say the shaman stands watch on the mesa, making sure the portal to the underworld stays tightly shut.

Urraca Mesa is privately owned by the Philmont Scout Ranch, so it’s not open for public hiking. Unless you’re a Boy Scout or a guest, you’re out of luck for exploring this haunted trail in New Mexico – but that might not be a bad thing.

Any Philmont alumni out there? Did you experience anything out of the norm on the mesa? Which Anasazi Camp horror stories freak you out the most? We’d love to hear from you.

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Anasazi Camp Horror Stories

Tori Jane | July 06, 2022

Where is the Urraca mesa?  

Tucked away in Colfax County, way up in northern New Mexico, is the Urraca mesa. Once upon a time (and even to this day), it was a sacred place for Native American people and it’s well-known for its strange and almost supernatural occurrences that are said to happen to folks who happen to visit. Its name comes from the Spanish word for magpie, according to Native American legends. Interestingly, this mesa is the one place in New Mexico that is struck by lightning with the most frequency, adding to its mysterious and legendary quality.  

What’s the story behind the Urraca mesa skull?  

Well, there isn’t really a story behind it, per se; when observed in certain ways and at certain angles, the Urraca mesa strangely resembles a human skull (which only FURTHER solidifies the legends and spooky myths). When seen from above in a plane or on a topographical map, the resemblance is quite eerie. Is it a coincidence that this place is thought to be one of the most active, paranormally speaking, in the state? Probably, but still ... it’s fun (and a little spooky) to think about. It’s one of our favorite urban legends in New Mexico for sure.  

Where is the scariest place in New Mexico?  

New Mexico is definitely not without its eerie history, ghost towns, haunted hotels, and other spooky goings-on. New Mexico is one of those states that’s proud of its strangeness and we’ve put together lists in the past of things like the most haunted road trip in New Mexico and other fun stuff. So, what takes the cake as the scariest place in New Mexico? Maybe it’s Roswell, where an alien spacecraft supposedly crashed in the 1950s. Or perhaps it’s one of our eerie old western cemeteries, like the infamous Dawson Cemetery, in Cimarron, where literally every single miner who worked in the nearby mines is buried (and all were killed in work-related accidents). Yikes.  

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Philmont Scout Ranch, New Mexico 87714, USA