The Sinister Story Behind This Popular New Mexico Scout Camp Will Give You Chills

New Mexico is full of haunted and mysterious locations, particularly around Cimmaron, in northeast New Mexico. Cimmaron is known for its connection to the wild (and bawdy) West, not to mention ghosts. They hang out and taunt guests at the St. James Hotel, where at least 20 people met a violent “old western” end. While St. James has a sinister past, it’s the picturesque Urraca Mesa at Philmont Scout Ranch, just outside of Cimmaron, that wins the award for the creepiest place. Don’t let this mesa’s ethereal beauty fool you. Despite its scenic vistas, Urraca’s history is deeper, darker, and much more sinister than it lets on.

Philmont Scout Ranch covers 214 square miles of rugged New Mexico wilderness.

Chris Brooks/ Flickr

According to the official Philmont website, more than one million scouts and adventurers have been through the camp. From stories of lost scouts to tales of eerie blue lights, many of the campers have heard dark tales about the mesa.

Urraca's history extends back to the time of the Anasazi.

Chris Brooks/ Flickr

Before becoming a scout ranch, Philmont was a stop along the Santa Fe Trail. It also was a prospecting camp after the Civil War. Then, after that, it was a working cattle ranch. Several native American tribes lived in the area too. However, long before the Apache, Ute, and Europeans came to the area, the Ancestral Puebloans called the region home -- until they all suddenly disappeared.

There are a bunch of creepy things about Urraca Mesa.

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. Plus, in some cultures, they are seen as messengers of death.

Compasses don't always work on Urraca.

By Primeromundo at English Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons

They say the best ghost stories have an element of truth. Since Urraca has large deposits of naturally magnetic lodestone, it makes sense that a scout, unable to rely on his compass, could get lost. The lodestone also attracts lightning. As such, Urraca has more lightning strikes than anywhere else in New Mexico.

When modern-era tribes moved to the area, they sensed evil spirits.

Google Maps

The spirits were tracked back to Urraca Mesa. They say a medicine man studied the petroglyphs in the area and determined that the ancient ones had fought a great battle with evil on the mesa. To keep the dark forces at bay, the entire tribe entered a portal to the underworld. Once inside, a great shaman sealed the portal behind them.

Urraca Mesa looks a lot like a skull.

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 see weird things on the 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.

Blue light glows from the mesa.

Doug Neidholdt/Alltrails

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. Native people from the area (and many others) say the shaman stands watch on the mesa, making sure the portal to the underworld stays tightly shut.

So, up for a hike? Unfortunately, Urraca Mesa is privately owned by the Philmont Scout Ranch. Unless you are a scout or a guest, you are out of luck. But maybe that’s not 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.

Address: Philmont Scout Ranch, New Mexico 87714, USA

THE OIYS VISITOR CENTER

ANASAZI CAMP HORROR STORIES

July 06, 2022

Tori Jane

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.