by Gary Cozzens
 
The Nogal Mesa has attracted people since the Jornada Mogollons called it home a millennium ago. The legacy and culture of those early settlers is only part of a rich history that draws visitors to the Mesa today.  This was the land of a gold prospecting craze, a bloody massacre that destroyed a village, generations of ranchers, the Lincoln National Forest's Ranger Station and the annual Ranchman's Camp, which still thrives.