Interstate Highway 25 through Raton Pass, in elevation, separates the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the west from the mesa country on the east. For this article, Raton Mesa is defined as the area east of Interstate 25 between Trinidad, Colorado and Raton, New Mexico, approximately south to north, and extending eastwards about . Within this area are three distinct mesas separated by deep canyons: Fishers Peak Mesa in Colorado, with a maximum elevation of , Bartlett Mesa, mostly in New Mexico, with a maximum elevation of , and Barela/Horseshoe/Horse Mesa, straddling the Colorado/New Mexico state line, with a maximum elevation of . The elevations at the foot of the mesas are or higher.