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1962 Map of Colorado National Monument

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Colorado National Monument
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

Colorado National Monument dominates this 1962 landscape, showing the transition from the high desert plateaus of Glade Park down to the fertile river valley. The map documents the intricate network of canyons and spires, including Independence Monument, Coke Ovens, and the Kissing Couple, while also tracing the human infrastructure that skirts these geological giants. Along the northern edge, the Colorado River flows parallel to the Denver And Rio Grande Western Railroad, which served as the primary industrial corridor for the region.

Evidence of early community life is visible in the scattered institutions such as the Redlands Sch and Glade Park Cem. The development of Redlands is shown through its emerging street grid and schools, while irrigation efforts are marked by the Fruita Res and the local pumping station. This survey captures a moment when the wilderness of Ute Canyon and No Thoroughfare Canyon remained largely untouched, even as suburban expansion began to press against the monument's eastern boundaries.