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2013 Map of Boettcher Lake

Name: 2013 Topographic Map of Boettcher Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2013
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2013

About this map

Fort Boettcher and the surrounding high-altitude ranching landscapes of Jackson County are defined here by a sophisticated network of irrigation systems and early homesteads. The N Fork N Platte River and its tributaries support numerous family-named properties, including the Shafer Ranch, Boettcher Ranch, and Fliniau Ranch. This water-driven economy is illustrated by a dense grid of named canals such as the Hill Ditch Number 1, Stormy Ditch, and Little Nellie Ditch, which redirect flow across the high plains.

Industrial activity in this part of the Routt National Forest is represented by the Monahan Coal Mine near the Monahan Homestead. The map also captures several high-mountain access routes, including the Grizzly Helena Trail 1126.1 and Ute Pass Trail 1128.1, which climb toward features like Bear Mountain and the alpine Ute Lake. The presence of these trails alongside established ranching infrastructure reveals a landscape shared between resource extraction and wilderness preservation.