1966 Map of Castor Gulch

About this map

The Yampa River and its broad alluvial basin at Big Bottom dominate the northern landscape of this Moffat County region, just south of the Craig corporate boundary. This mid-century survey captures a transition from the industrial activity near the Municipal Airport to the high, broken terrain of the Williams Fork Mountains. Evidence of the local extraction economy is visible throughout, from the Walker Mine in the east to numerous scattered oil wells and drill holes dotting the ridges. The small settlement of Hamilton serves as a southern anchor near the Hamilton Sch, situated where the landscape begins its steep ascent into the mountains. Between the river and the peaks, a complex network of drainages including Castor Gulch, Pyeatt Gulch, and Deacon Gulch defines the geography, while labels like Thompson Hill and Bogenschutz Creek suggest the area's pioneer and ranching history.