Loading map...

1970 Map of Climax

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of Climax
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Climax sits atop the high-altitude industrial landscape of the Continental Divide, where the extraction of molybdenum and silver shaped the development of Lake and Park Counties. This 1970s survey captures an intensive mining environment characterized by complex underground structures and surface operations, including the Phillipson Portal and the massive Glory Hole excavation. The transportation network is defined by the high-elevation Fremont Pass and the Colorado and Southern railroad grade, which served these remote operations.

Further south, the map reveals a dense concentration of historical mining claims around Mosquito Pass, one of the highest navigable passes in the Rockies. Researchers can trace the footprints of legendary sites such as the North London Mill and the American Mine, alongside smaller family-named prospects like the Famous Mine and Fortune Mine. The rugged hydrology of the region is equally prominent, with the headwaters of the Arkansas River and South Fork Arkansas River beginning their descent through glacial gulches.