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1986 Map of Bristol Head

Name: 1986 Topographic Map of Bristol Head
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

The high-altitude drainage of the Rio Grande defines this mid-1980s topographic study of Mineral County. The central feature is the Santa Maria Reservoir, a significant water management site flanked by the prominent Long Ridge and Santa Maria Pass. The landscape is dominated by the sprawling Rio Grande National Forest, where the terrain ascends toward the volcanic massif of Bristol Head, crowned by a Radio Tower.

Resource extraction and wilderness preservation exist side-by-side on this sheet. Evidence of early prospecting is visible near Sawmill Gulch and Horsethief Creek, while the southwestern corner transitions into the protected Weminuche Wilderness. Smaller alpine features like Ghost Lake and Lakeman Lakes provide specific points of interest for genealogists tracing historical movement through these high mountain corridors.