Loading map...

1965 Map of Big Soap Park

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Big Soap Park
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Gunnison National Forest dominates this mid-1960s survey of high-elevation terrain, defined by the drainage basins of the West and East forks of Soap Creek. The West Elk Wilderness occupies the eastern portion of the sheet, where steep drainages like Smooth Canyon cut through the landscape. Settlement is minimal in this wilderness-focused region, though the Waterman Ranch is noted near the center of Big Soap Park, providing a rare point of human habitation in a landscape otherwise defined by pack trails and prominent peaks.

The topography transitions from the high ridges of Kaufman Ridge and Haystack Mountain in the north toward the deeper canyons of Buck Hollow in the south. Notable geographic landmarks include Porcupine Cone and the Curecanti Pass, which served as a crossing point for the Curecanti Pack Trail. This map offers a detailed look at the trail networks and water sources, such as Kaufman Creek and Robinson Creek, that supported movement through this backcountry before modern infrastructure altered the more accessible neighboring regions.