ABSTRACT
Standing at nearly 9,500 feet, Cerro de la Olla looms over the west side of the Rio Grande Gorge. Piñon-juniper woodlands cover the foothills of Cerro de la Olla, gradually giving way to Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and scrub oak as one travels upslope. A distinctive basin formed following the collapse of a lava dome on the mountain during the Pliocene covers 20 acres of the summit. 3 This caldera fills with seasonal surface runoff during the spring, offering a reliable water source for both humans and wildlife.
