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2011 Map of Axehandle Butte

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Axehandle Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

Ashwood and the nearby heights of Ash Butte define the northwestern corner of this Jefferson County landscape. The area is a high-desert environment where water sources like Axehandle Spring and the drainage of Trout Creek have historically dictated movement and settlement. A complex network of ridges and peaks, including Iron Mountain, Thompson Peak, and Gooseberry Mountain, creates a fractured topography cut by numerous dry draws and seasonal streams such as Tin Can Draw and Fools Hollow.

The road network is centered on the corridor of Ne Trout Creek RD, which provides access to ranching outposts like the Norton Ranch. To the east, the terrain rises toward Axehandle Ridge and Axehandle Butte, landmarks that reflect the early nomenclature of the region. This 2011 survey documents the persistent rural character of the high country, where named features like Big Whetstone Creek and Calf Gulch point to the local history of livestock and land use.