2013 Map of Black Mountain

About this map

Black Mountain anchors this high-elevation landscape where the border of the Pike National Forest meets the working lands of the central Colorado high country. The map illustrates a transition from the protected forest terrain to private ranching operations, including the V V N Ranch in the north and the Stirrup Ranch to the south. Water sources are critical to this environment, defined by the winding paths of Cottonwood Creek and the headwaters of Thirtyone Mile Creek. The drainage patterns, including the marshy Rye Slough and the seasonal flow of Gribbles Run, reveal how the local topography has historically dictated the placement of homesteads and grazing boundaries. Surveyed roads such as County Road 2 and County Road F5 connect these dispersed ranching sites, tracing the routes that maintain communication across the Park and Fremont County line.