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1982 Map of Buena Vista West

Name: 1982 Topographic Map of Buena Vista West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

Buena Vista sits at the foot of the San Isabel range, serving as a hub for the rail and water networks of the Upper Arkansas Valley in the early 1980s. The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad follows the curve of the Arkansas River, while a complex system of irrigation infrastructure, including the Mc Kenna Ditch and Maxwell Ditch, reveals the intensive land management required in this high-altitude landscape.

Beyond the town center, the map documents recreational and industrial history, from the Cottonwood Hot Springs to the Latchaw Mine. Cultural landmarks such as Mt Olivet Cem and a Drive-in Theater are clearly marked, alongside remnants of earlier industry like the Charcoal Kiln located in the southern gulches. The terrain rises sharply toward Bald Mountain and the San Isabel National Forest, where numerous prospects and gravel pits dot the slopes of Cottonwood Creek.