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1957 Map of Bowen Mountain

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Bowen Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The Never Summer Mountains dominate this high-altitude landscape along the Continental Divide, where the boundaries of Routt National Forest, Arapaho National Forest, and Rocky Mountain National Park converge. The terrain is defined by extreme relief, rising from the headwaters of the Illinois River to the summits of Cascade Mountain and Bowen Mountain. Historical land use is visible through a network of pack trails, including the Wolverine Trail and Gilsonite Trail, which once provided access to remote sites like the Wolverine Mine.

Hydrographic patterns are centered on high-mountain basins, with Ruby Lake, Blue Lake, and Bowen Lake tucked into glacial cirques. The eastern slopes are drained by the branching system of North Supply Creek, Middle Supply Creek, and South Supply Creek. This map captures the area after the mid-century field checks, documenting a wilderness largely shaped by forest management and the early extraction efforts that left named landmarks across the Blue Ridge and Porphyry Peaks.