Higher and drier than the Central Great Plains (4F) to the east, and in contrast to the irregular, mostly grassland or grazing land of the Northwestern Great Plains (4C) to the north, much of the Western High Plains is characterized by smooth to slightly irregular plains having a high percentage of cropland.

Buffalograss (buchleo dactyloides) is the natural vegetation in this region as compared to mostly wheatgrass or needlegrass to the north, Trans-Pecos shrub savanna to the south, and taller grasses to the east.

The northern boundary of this ecological region is also the approximate northern limit of winter wheat and sorghum and the southern limit of spring wheat.

Fort Union National Monument

Santa Fe Trail

At two this afternoon, I drive out of Roswell, travel east on US 380 and continue over the flat grass lands east of Roswell, which are commonly called the Great Plains, but more specifically, the Western High Plains.

What I see in this region is oil well pumps and cattle ranches and sometimes the two over lap, nothing more just oil and beef. Well, there then began to appear some sand dunes and when I stopped at a road side map, found out that this was called the Mescalero Sands.

At first, there are scattered sand dunes but then, about 36 miles east of Roswell, I come upon a road with a sign indicating that these dunes are in fact a BLM Recreational Area and that there is free camping allowed, however, there are no improvements.

Too, the escarpment in the background is the Llano Estacado, which is Spanish and means a fortified plain because of the fortress like appearance of the escarpment.