Mesa de Maya

Over time the softer sedimentary rock surrounding the basalt eroded leaving several distinct large elevated tablelands with precipitous sides which include the Mesa de Maya.

[citation needed] From the core area of the Mesa de Maya the second part, a long finger about one mile wide and called Black Mesa, extends another 25 miles (40 km) southeastward into New Mexico and Oklahoma running between North Carrizo Creek and the Cimarron River and terminating at the junction of the two streams.

Mule deer, black bear, cougar, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, and golden eagles are found.

The nearest settlements to Mesa de Maya are Kim, Colorado and Kenton, Oklahoma, both of which receive 16.7 inches (420 mm) of precipitation annually, mostly in the three summer months.

[7] In 2003, the U.S. Army proposed to expand the existing Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) by as much as 6.9 million acres (27,923 km2) of land owned by private citizens and the Comanche National Grassland in southeastern Colorado.

The proposed expansion would include the Mesa de Maya in Colorado and make PCMS three times larger than any other military base in the United States.

The impetus for these organizations came from ranchers and local citizens who wished to preserve private property and the traditional ranching economy of southeastern Colorado.