Loading map...

2019 Map of Bayfield

Name: 2019 Topographic Map of Bayfield
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2019
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2019

About this map

Bayfield serves as the focal point of this southwestern Colorado landscape, situated along the banks of the Los Pinos River. The map reveals a complex water management system essential to the region's agricultural history, featuring an extensive network of gravity-fed irrigation channels such as the Pine River Bayfield Ditch, King Consolidated Ditch, and the Commissioner Ditch. These waterways reflect the historical effort to harness river runoff for local ranching and farming operations.

To the east, the terrain rises into the San Juan National Forest, where deep incisions like Ritter Canyon and Zabel Canyon define the topography. Local genealogy and land use are anchored by the Bayfield Cemetery and landmarks such as Dunham Gap and Arrowhead Hill. The presence of the Lower Ute Campground along Ute Creek highlights the area's transition from a settled river valley to protected mountain wilderness.