Located in the Keystone Mining District, LaBelle was once home to 600 or more people, most of them gold miners.  Historic records indicate that LaBelle’s post office operated from 1895-1901.  Additionally the town had stores, saloons, hotels, and a newspaper (the LaBelle Cresset, 1894-1898).  Some miners continued living and working in LaBelle as late as 1910.

Few people have heard of LaBelle, New Mexico, and it doesn’t appear in any of the usual “Ghost Town” reference books.  And it’s no wonder because there’s practically nothing left of the town.  The town doesn’t appear on any modern maps, there are no Forest Service signs, and few people explore beyond the nearest access road that is two miles away.  Even the name of LaBelle Creek has been changed.

The only hint at the true location of LaBelle is “LaBelle Lodge” that appears on some maps.  La Belle Lodge is much newer than the historic town.  Evidence indicates it was added on and remodeled perhaps as recently as the 1980s, but the original construction is older, 1950s or 1960s perhaps.

Studying the hand-drawn Keystone Mining District map carefully, it appears that LaBelle Lodge is near the center of town.  Scattered throughout the forest nearby are hundreds of mining shafts, small prospect pits, and evidence of placer mining in the valley bottoms.  One group of rocks not far from the Lodge is likely a chimney fall, marking the location of a historic house or cabin.

LaBelle Lodge sits on the same site as the historic town of LaBelle. The land-leveling for the lodge construction and the earth-moving for the pond likely destroyed a portion of whatever remained at the townsite.

Although the LaBelle Lodge is unlocked and I couldn’t resist, I don’t recommend entering.  The building has been heavily vandalized by shooters and most windows have been broken out.  As a result the building is filled with trash, animal feces, soggy-wet carpets, and other ‘stuff’.

The interior of LaBelle Lodge shows relatively modern remodeling including pvc pipes, drywall, and hollow-cardboard-type doors.

As unlikely as it seems, this marshy area may have been the near-center of town, the terminus of a stagecoach line, and the end of a telephone line.

Imagine a town of 600 with stores, hotels, and a post office located in this small valley.

The ruts between these two pine trees are a possible location of the 1895 stage coach line that ran from LaBelle to Catskill, New Mexico.

There may not be much to see at the townsite of LaBelle, but the spectacular scenery make the trip worthwhile.


Comments

LaBelle NM — 90 Comments

  1. Hi Bob, we just watched Godless with pleasure and as we plan to ride to NW as soon as we will be abble to do it…after COVID…we look after info of Moses and Labelle ….We used to ride on Harley in US , one state each time.We are from Paris ( France) and all infos you put on this site are very usefull for us. As actually we don’t have a very precise map of Taos and around do you think we can ride on Harley to Labelle lodge?
    If you have more info..do not hesitate…
    tks coop
    happy new 2021. take care
    stéphan

    • The LaBelle Lodge is 2-3 miles from the nearest vehicle access, so plan on a bit of walking with good sturdy hiking boots. There are no trails or signs so you will definitely need a good map.
      I would be comfortable riding a motorcycle into the area from the west, but not a large heavy Harley or touring bike. It’s about 40 miles (round-trip) of loose gravel and washboards.
      Coming in from the east would be over 60 miles of dirt and gravel, including a series of switchbacks over a mountain pass. The road from the east is known for giving flat tires.

  2. Hello Bob,

    I’m back again with a couple more questions.

    Do you know of any waterfalls in the LaBelle or Valle Vidal area?

    Do you know of any other historical maps of the area?

    Michael

  3. My last name is labelle i have been researching information about labelle town nm since i saw this movie email me if you have any informatio

  4. I recently found out about what was once “La Belle” NM. I’m attempting to find out where the town name originated and if there are any records of the earliest people in the town. My name is La Belle and am aware of a history of my family being in New Mexico. Strange? Yes. Interesting? Even more so. I’d love to learn as much as I can!

    • Rather than based on a family name, the town name of LaBelle is taken from a lady’s first name, Belle Dixon.
      Good luck though with researching your family’s history in New Mexico.

    • Hello my name is amy labelle saw the movie godless and have been looking up information about labelle history and was wondering if you have any information on it

      • Do you have a reference for that?
        According to the maps I’ve seen, it was called Spring Creek when the town was active. It wasn’t called LaBelle Creek until later.

        • The Wikipedia entry for La Belle, NM, claims that the settlement was “named after Belle Dixon, the wife of a prospector who was one of the first investors in the area” with this citation: Julyan, Robert (1996). The Place Names of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press. p. 188.

          • Yes, that’s my understanding as well. But funny how if one source has wrong information, everyone else copies it and it becomes “fact.” That’s why I was asking Wayne if he had a good source for his information.

            On the 1895 map, the creek running through LaBelle is called Spring Creek.

  5. Hello Bob,

    I am doing some research about LaBelle and I am interested to learn if any of the mines or areas in Valle Vidal are privately owned and if so, who owns them. Do you know where I might go for these answers?

    Thank you.

    Best regards,
    Michael Moreland

    • I do not believe there are any active mining claims in the Valle Vidal. I have checked some online references but never an official search at the county courthouse.

      • Hello Bob,

        Thank you for the reply. I have been a bit busy and haven’t been back in a while. If there were any active mining claims, which courthouse would have the records? I would actually like to research any land purchases or mining claims in the LaBelle area that have occurred since 2005. Please advise and thank you again for your response.

        Best regards,
        Michael

        • Hello Bob,

          I should have checked before asking the question. I assume this is the Taos County Clerk’s office or should I be checking somewhere else?

          Thank you,
          Michael

  6. My one complaint about Godless is the mining engineer is from the Colorado School of Mines. He should have been from the New Mexico School of Mines. I am biased, but that is my alma mater, now called the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, or New Mexico Tech.

    New Mexico is a beautiful state. Visit us.

    • I love westerns and thoroughly enjoyed Godless! I would like to visit some of the locations seen in the movie. The scenery is breathtaking. Thank you for giving us a glimpse of how life in the rough and tumble west could have been.

  7. My great grandfather Joseph W. Smith was president of the Climax Mine in LaBelle in 1895. He was an immigrant from Brusperk, Austria. He married Arta Little from Maywood, Nebraska whose sister well, was married to Arthur Stevens. The Stevens lived in Taos. The Smiths settled in LaBelle where they lived, according to my family history, at 8000 ft. elevation. The Climax and Gold Conda Gold Mining companies failed and the Smiths moved to Taos sometime after the winter of 1896.

    • Your family history may be underestimating the elevation. According to topo maps the town site of LaBelle is around 9,600′ elevation. I’m not certain where the Climax mine is exactly on a topo map, but it may be closer to 9,800′ as most of the mine works are on the steep rugged slopes above the town.

  8. I watch Godless all the time. I am fascinated by the story. I was watching The West and in it there is a reference to another Alice Fletcher, who was on a mission herself. Can’t remember all the details. Just wondered if the Alice Fletcher in Godless is some takeoff of the real Alice Fletcher?

  9. I found your site while watching “Godless” wanting to know where it was filmed which then led to further investigation of La Belle. I was just in Cuba last week and then drove CR 112 across the Jicarilla Apache Reservation. I wish I would have loved to do some exploring in the area. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Next year when I make my annual trip to Colorado I will have to stop and explore some of the New Mexico ghost towns.

    Respectfully,
    Mary Hastings

    • I would like to visit La Belle on one of many expected future visits to Red River. I’ve found the location on Google Earth and see that the great majority of the trip can be done by car or UTV until the road crosses La Belle creek. I assume UTV access is prohibited from that point on since there is no established road from there to the site??? If so, what would you estimate is the distance from the road to La Belle by hike?

      • Thanks for visiting the website Steve. You are correct in assuming that off-road vehicles are absolutely not allowed in the Valle Vidal, thankfully. LaBelle is only a 2-mile hike from the nearest vehicle access. But since there is no road through to Red River, the drive is an hour-and-a-half around.
        Do watch the weather, especially during the monsoon season. The 2-mile walk is across an exposed high country meadow with no place to take shelter. Storms build quickly overhead, and moving weather fronts come fast with little warning from over the ridge.

  10. Hello Bob,
    Like so many people recently, I have become fascinated with the story of La Belle, NM after watching the series “Godless”. There is a map of the Keystone Mining District online and I’m wondering if it is authentic but I don’t know how to post it here. There is an inset in the lower right hand corner that says “Copyrighted 1895 by C. H. Amerine Colorado Springs, CO”. Is it possible for me to post it or send it to you for posting?

    Gordon in Michigan

  11. Good evening, or rather good morning, it is 12:39 a.m. on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. I stumbled upon this site when researching my Great, Great, Grandfather, John “Jack” Hewitt Young. He apparently owned the La Belle Mine portion (Article from Springer Newspaper 1896) I always wondered why my Great Grandmother and his daughter was named Beatrice La Belle Young who married J.A.R. Cohn. Question for you kind sir, Bob? Are there any historical photos of the town? I also would like to visit the location, and have acquired the GPS coordinates. In reading the comments, it sounds like you can drive a portion and then a rather long hike in correct. Any additional information you have is sincerely appreciated. As a researcher, I am so grateful to all of you who post your discoveries, helps me form the picture of my roots. Thank you in advance for any additional information you can provide.
    Sincerely,
    Yvette Cohn Stoor

  12. I found this discussion when I googled LaBelle NM. As has been mentioned LaBelle is just a memory now but the location is connected historically to the mining around Red River NM which is still a thriving tourist and ski town. I have been visiting Red River since I was around 5 and I am 65 now. There are maps available for the old mining areas around Red River; the Midnight and Anchor mines were closest to LaBelle and there are established Jeep trails around them. They are not in the Valle Vidal area but close to it. There was a stage line that connected with LaBelle at one time. I read some history of LaBelle in a book about Red River mining history. I’ll have to see if I can find that book. They described dances that were held in LaBelle!

    • Hello, and thanks for commenting. Yes, the three towns are all related and not too far apart. Accessing LaBelle from Midnight and Anchor isn’t so easy. In the old days there was a stage line / road over the mountain, connecting LaBelle to Midnight/Anchor. Now it’s either a rugged hike over the mountain or a long drive around.

  13. I have an antique picture of one of my ancestors who was about 4 or 5 at the time. She is on the porch of a log home with a hand made wooden chair with a black lab mix dog sitting on the chair. Someone wrote on the picture “little Angela rickard, pioneer child, la belle, new mexico. Photo by miller.” I have always wanted to see la belle, but it kind of sounds like it’s gone, but it is a beautiful spot.

  14. The location for the set of the town of LaBelle on Godless looks like it is near San Luis, NM between Bernalillo and Cuba. Several movies and TV shows were filmed on the BLM land in that area. There is a cemetery in San Luis that looks a lot like one of the ones from the show.

  15. Found your website while researching LaBelle and its sister towns, Anchor and Midnight City, for the third novel in my Sangre de Cristo series (Inspirational Historical Fiction).

    What a gold mine! (pun intended) I try to include as much historical detail and local lore as possible in my books, and your site provides great information on both. Thank you!

    I’ve been working off an old geological survey map for setting details, but the Keystone Mining District map mentioned in the comment thread is contemporary and has much more detail. When I wrote the first book, More Precious Than Gold, which is set mostly in Elizabethtown and on a fictional ranch that would now be at the bottom of Eagle Lake, I was delighted to find that I could order a $3 copy of the original E-Town plat from Colfax County records. By switching to satellite view, you can still make out the outline of the original streets where the soil is more firmly packed. (Causes vegetation changes.) Do you happen to know if there are similar plats for La Belle, Anchor, and Midnight City?

    The second book in the series was set down around Mora, Loma Parda (another ghost town), and Fort Union, but I’m excited to be moving the story back north into the Valle Vidal!

    I’ve always loved Louis L’Amour and grew up vacationing in the Red River area where I fell in love with the ruins at Elizabethtown and the stories surrounding the region. Thanks again for the great information and “virtual field trip”!

    Lynn Dean

    • No, I’ve never seen a plat map of any of the Keystone Mining District towns. Two places I can think of asking, the county courthouse in Taos and the museum in Red River. I have studied the topo maps and satellite images of the Keystone District as well. Some foundations and mine features and old roads are visible. But due to the age of the towns and tree cover, most cabin ruins and ‘streets’ aren’t.
      By the way, if you ever come across a map showing the location of Gysin City, I’d love to see it.

    • I wonder if you’re familiar with the three logging camp towns in the eastern side of the Valle Vidal? Ponil Park, Ring, and Bonita. Might be another story out there in the sandstone canyons and Ponderosa trees.
      Best wishes.

  16. Hello Bob, since my computer had died and I lost thousands of Documents and many pictures. But I was grateful that a certain person sent me a CD of LaBelle pictures, I am truly lucky here!

    As you know that I am big fan of Elizabethtown, in Colfax county, but I am always returning here to you website wanting to read more and there are a lot of great comments above Bob!

    Thanks for the friendship and your comments, statements and advice to your Opinions, I appreciate them!
    Yours truly,
    Christopher

  17. Watching Godless for the second time and finally decided to look up La Belle, NM to see if it was real or a Hollywood-created town. It seems that there are a lot of others that got to this site when searching after watching this series. Great series (like I said, I’ve watched it twice). It’s nice to know that La Belle actually existed. From the dates I’ve seen referenced, La Belle was around much more recently than I thought. I would’ve placed it about 15-20 years earlier. In any case, this was a pleasant site to find with folks sharing my taste for movies and a romance of the “Old West”. Thanks to the site admin!

    • I appreciate the comment. No one is as surprised as I am at the attention that Godless has brought to the real LaBelle. Even in the local area here in New Mexico not many people know about LaBelle or have ever visited.

  18. Its amazing Bob how many folks out there believe that La Belle or LaBelle the Ghost town as the same as the Movie set. I see you have received several text of the Movie set being related to the Ghost town of La Belle.
    Its interesting but Odd in how many folks are fooled by the Movie!
    Thanks for your time and Take Care!
    Chris

    • Using the name of a town that really existed gives some credibility to the story. And by using a town that no one has really ever heard of, the show creators are free to write original stories without having to adhere to a known legend. Writing a show for Lincoln, in contrast, would be very difficult because everyone already knows the story and characters.

  19. Binge-watched “Godless”….What a fabulous movie! Well done by all… quite a change from chateau land for Michelle Dockery but it waxworth her time.
    Bob & Alice Sprague
    Santa Fe

    • I agree awesome movie hate and evil has always been and will always be there will always a someone that don’t wanna see happiness.

  20. I’m another one brought here by Godless. My wife and I are in our 70’s and working on bucket list items and thought La Belle would be interesting to visit if it still existed (Deadwood comes to mind). Glad I found this since it will keep me from wasting what time I have left!

    • Gene Gillam, Thank you for commenting. I appreciate the feedback and am pleased that this page was of practical use to you. On one hand, there is practically nothing remaining of LaBelle, New Mexico to see. On the other hand, it’s a true abandoned place whereas Deadwood, South Dakota is a large functioning town.
      Unlike Deadwood, in LaBelle you won’t find any phony tourist kitsch, costumed actors, congested traffic, or hoards of tourists blocking every photographic view. What you will find at LaBelle is an area of incredible scenic beauty not significantly different from what the first prospectors found as they explored the valleys and ridges in the 1800s. There are traces of historic mining, but you must find them yourself; the LaBelle history isn’t spoon-fed to visitors with signs, museums, or tour guides.
      Thank you again for visiting my website and commenting.

      • I too found this site through Godless & seeing if the history of it were true or not….I’m about to be 40 but i always have loved films about the western periods but most especially on whether or not the movie is from a true story….nothing better than that far as I’m concerned. I think more people should be more grateful for wat we have in this day & age but if i could choose to live my life in some other date period, it would be way back in the western era even with all the digital temptations we have like computers, smartphones & Xbox’s….I’d STILL love to live in the old west days 😉

  21. Would you happen to know if the Cemetery in LaBelle is still there? If so are the graves marked with last names and/or dates?

    • Hello Nikki. To my knowledge there is no cemetery at LaBelle. There could have been one, of course, but I’ve seen no evidence. It’s not on any map and I’ve never seen a photo. If you know something about a cemetery in LaBelle, I’d love to hear about it.

    • From what I’ve read, the gold ore was very low-grade. And because the ore had to be hauled out for processing, the operations at LaBelle weren’t profitable enough. There is also evidence of places mining in the area, including old photos, which indicates there must have been at least some free gold as well as the ore.

  22. Just hiked out there today, followed the closed part of the forest road to the fence and took a right, then followed that up to the lodge. If you can find it using google maps. If you really are daring, you could get a 4 wheel drive up to the lodge with little trouble.

    • I’ve always wanted to visit which Forest road would lead me there. I don’t mind hiking I just don’t want to head the wrong way.

  23. Omgosh I totally came here also because I’ve been watching the show Godless. I live in Albuquerque and I’d never heard of a town called LaBelle (or Moses) until watching this show. I wanted to see if it was indeed a real place. It’s super cool to find out that it really did exist, though the town was much different than it was portrayed in the series. It looks very beautiful and I would love to see it one day!

  24. Thanks for this great post! Because of the amazing show Godless, I am now obsessed with both LaBelle and Moses (old and new). This post has greatly helped with my understanding of the history and area. I’m from NM so my husband and I are planning to explore both areas soon.

    Thanks again!

  25. Just finished watching Godless- fascinating series! Growing up in Sant Fein the 1970s, my parents and I spent many weekends visiting ghost towns in NM and CO. I know live in NM again- Farmington, and take many weekend trips myself, so I may add La Belle and Moses to list. I checked the coordinates on Google Maps (given above) and in the satellite image there appears to be a fairly contemporary pickup truck very near to the lodge and pond.

    Thanks for all the great information!

    • Hello John. I have not seen a pickup in the satellite images. Obviously in such a beautiful natural area as the Valle Vidal vehicles are restricted to the roads. But there are several legit reasons why there could be a truck out there. The area is grazed by cattle and the ranchers undoubtedly need to access fence lines and check on water sources. The Forest Service employees, game warden, and other law enforcement have a need to access certain areas regularly. And the good road going south past the locked gate, I believe that road is used to access a nearby private ranch.

  26. I just watched Godless and looked up articles on Scott Frank, director and screen writer. His assistant had found some information on towns in the west where there were large mining accidents and towns were left with only women. Some left and some made the best of it. Mr. Frank found that an interesting part of the history of the west. He also did research on the town of La Belle. He seemed to want a certain amount of accuracy depicting New Mexico in the 1800’s. I really appreciate that in a film maker.

  27. curious about what inspired the writers of Godless, the LaBelle mine and town. Are the ghost speaking to them? History is fascinating. I have restored 3 historical homes and furnished them to their vintage. Traveling back in time is an experience. This earth holds many secrets just waiting to surface and be explored.
    .

  28. I think it is fantastic that shows like “Godless” can spark new interest in actual history and forgotten places. I am just an amateur history buff and what always impresses me is how the past is never quite as far off as it seems the more we learn about it. I used to live in New Mexico and hope to get back to prowl more at some point.

  29. I’m a high school history teacher in Russellville, Arkansas, and I came across your post while researching information about La Belle. I teach world history, but am passionate about the history of Native Americans and American westward expansion. I’ve spent time camping and hiking throughout Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah, and Arizona. I became aware of La Belle after watching the Netflix series ‘Godless’ which is set there in the late 1880s. Thanks for the interesting post.

    • As you can probably guess, LaBelle in the television show has very little in common with the real town of LaBelle, New Mexico. I wonder if the show creators were even aware that there was a real town of LaBelle, or if the town name is merely a coincidence? An interesting discussion for your history class, no doubt.

      Keep in mind that the real LaBelle is in the high mountains surrounded by deep evergreen forests, unlike the prairie / desert setting of the television show. The real LaBelle, being a mine camp, had few women. There was never a railroad anywhere near the real LaBelle. And I cannot find any reference indicating there was a mine actually called LaBelle.

      • I found an article in the Albuquerque Journal from 11/26/17 about Godless. It said the writer of the series was very aware of New Mexico old towns including the now ghost town of Moses which is featured (it’s North of Clayton). He must have known about the La Belle mine too which this post identified. I found it using the GPS ciordimates and it’s in the Valle Vidal wilderness which I have been in many times. The series was filmed in Santa Fe Studios and on a ranch in Lamy which is South of Santa Fe where the terrain is very much different than the Valle Vidal, but that’s what they had to work with. It’s a great Western series!

  30. ,I’m watching the series “Godless” now and totally fascinated with the area. My husband and I have vacationed in New Mexico twice in the past few years and would love to check out this area . We plan to retire in New Mexico

      • I sometimes work in mines in WA. Have you been out exploring the historic mines and town sites in the Outback there? It would be similar to the ghost towns and mining districts in New Mexico.

  31. Hello Bob,
    I have a vacation home in Red River, NM and have spent a fair amount of time in the Valle Vidal Wilderness (where the La Belle is located as you know) hiking and fishing. Red River is roughly Southeast of the Valle Vidal. Thanks to your GPS coordinates, I located the La Belle lodge using Google Earth. Did you park alongside the main road and hike over to it? If so, about how far was it? My Forest Service map is in Red River otherwise I’d be able to tell. I found a photo of the lodge tagged on Google Earth and it looks like folks ride over to it from Clayton Corral so it’s being used as a horse rest stop of sorts. I just started watching the excellent Netflix Series called Godless and the La Belle mine plays a large part in the series. I looked up the mine and was thankful to find your blog post.

  32. Thank you very much for posting the information and pictures of the La belle area. I have a cabin up Bittercreek Canyon where there are many old mines and cabins. I have often thought of hiking to la belle as it is only across Van Diest mnt, from my location. I am sure glad you posted pictures of the new building! I had visions in my head of the ‘la belle lodge’ being a arge 1800s building on a 1980s building. You saved me a whole days hike. thank you!

  33. The main road isn’t 4wd, but it is gravel and I did get a javolin-shaped rock through the E-rated F350 tire last year. Plenty of people drive up there in Subaru-type cars and even regular passenger sedans.
    No, sorry, I don’t have much information on Elizabethtown or the nearby site of Virginia City. Both of those are private property but Elizabethtown has a museum, cemetery, and is open to the public.
    Dawson is only 4 miles off the highway between Cimarron and Raton. The town is only open to the public on special occasions but the cemetery is always accessible.
    Stop at the Cold Beer Tavern near there too for historic photos and information on the ghost town of Colfax. The ruins are on private property but right next to the highway. You can get some photos without crossing the highway r-o-w fence.

    • Hello Bob!

      Thanks for your information above, so sorry I just seeing this now, I thought I needed to wonder over here to this page again tonight Now!

      Years ago around 2004 or 2005, I called that Museum at Elizabethtown, N. M. to see what they could tell me and what I could learn about their collection of material, at the same time I contacted the Court house in Raton, N. M. and got hold of County Clerk, he sent me the Plat map of Elizabethtown and I was just happy as a Big Fat Turkey not being served at Thanksgiving, I mean excited I was to receive that Plat Map, I wished I had another copy of it and might do that if I pass through Raton, N. M. and Anyway I learned from the person who was running Museum at Elizabethtown, yes they said a lot of property around the town was private and that there was one local man or family who thought they still had Riches & Gold under a old E-Town Log Cabin!

      I have heard of Dawson, before and have read something on the town too! I always thought about checking out Cimarron too, I have heard it was a hopping Town during the Old West days and Mining days of the Past!

      Thanks for your comments and wonderful information! I am really grateful that I have found you! I have a Archaeologist buddy of mine, who I work for every now and then with Research now days, I can’t do much of anything any more, and I am only 59 years old too! Anyway my former boss & buddy the Archaeologist has worked for years in Missouri & Central America, Belize & other Mayan sites surrounding, anyway I was getting ready to ask him if he knew any Archaeologist in New Mexico or Colorado or not!

      And then I found you, I believe that I was very lucky to find you Bob!

      I thank you for your time and the much Help from you Bob! I do appreciate the Suggestions too!

      Thank You and Take Care,
      Chris Cooper

        • Godless is really good and appears to rely heavily on actual historical events including the tragic Mormon incident when a large clan of non Mormon settlers passing through Utah were massacre d. Not sure how accurate the mining history is but LaBelle looks like it is described here. That’s how I found this website

  34. Hi Chris. I’m an ex-archaeologist as well, a past supervisor and crew member on many CRM surveys all around Arkansas and the Southwest.
    Yes, the town site is on public land. And to help you find it, the LaBelle Lodge is located on USGS and Forest Service maps. The nearest vehicle access to LaBelle is approximately two miles away. Something to be aware of before you set out, there are no services on the 80 mile drive from Raton to LaBelle. You may drive the entire distance without seeing other vehicles. And much of the drive is a gravel road that can be rough and is famous for giving flat tires. The area is also accessible from the west, a 70 mile drive from Taos via the small town of Costilla.
    No, other than the modern lodge, there is very little to see at the town site. The single rock pile, the suspected fireplace, was rather un-photogenic and I did not take a picture of it.
    -Bob Wick

    • Hello Bob Wick!
      Thanks for your reply, I am so grateful for your remarks and comments above! Wow it sounds so Interesting to me, but I don’t know about the Roads either! I will be driving a 2015 Ford Escape, different kind of wheels on it now days, but I am really scared to drive back to La Belle, I have always heard it called LaBelle too!

      Anyway sounds like one would need a Hummer, Jeep and etc. to get back there, but oh for years I have always wanted to see this area and the site of La Belle, its always been a interested of mine!

      Sounds like I will have to stick to Elizabethtown, in Colfax Co., N. M. instead! I wish I could find a way too see La Belle some way, my wife Faye she might not like us driving down these kinds of Roads! Sounds really scary to me! But I love those kinds of Roads too!

      I have another question, its not about La Belle, I was wondering if you know that there are any kind of Older maps, like the Keystone Mining district Map for “Elizabethtown, Colfax Co., N. M. Territory?

      But I also wanted to say that I had seen and found the Old Keystone Mining district Map was back in Feb. of this year, I accidently found and it was the most lucky thing too!

      I will email you with some of my personal information very soon!

      I thank you for you time and Again Take Care!
      Yours Truly,
      Chris Cooper

  35. Please tell me more about LaBelle or La Belle, Taos County, New Mexico? Great Pictures and its great to see these wonderful pictures and hear about its History!

    I am a Retired Archaeologist and a Missouri Historian, I have tried to Read everything that I can find on La Belle, Taos Co., N. M. —- You show and talk about the More Modern Building known as the La Belle Lodge, can you tell who owns it! And does the site of La Belle, N. M. sit on Government Land?
    Who can I contact if I want to drive to the Location of the Once Historic Ghost Town/Extinct townsite, I want to walk around these areas and see what I can See? So I don’t want to get in trouble or put in Jail?

    You mention the remains of an House or log Cabin foundation or Fireplace-Chimmey, did you take pictures of this also! Tell me did you see signs of anything Historic or not?

    One Last Word Here! Just Really Beautiful Pictures you posted and shared here! I am glad that I found your site here on the internet, it kind of paid off! Just amazing Pictures and Views of the surrounding Scenery is just amazing here!

    Thanks for your time and Take Care,
    yours Truly:
    Christopher Neal Cooper

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