The mountain range along the east bank of the Rio Grande is named after Father Cristobal de Salazar of the 1598 Juan de Onate expedition, and the northern edge of the twenty-one mile range is said to resemble the profile of the friar. This paraje, or encampment, served as a resting place for caravans on the Camino Real as they entered or exited the Jornada del Muerto.