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1973 Map of Columbine Pass

Name: 1973 Topographic Map of Columbine Pass
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

The Needle Mountains dominate this high-altitude landscape within the San Juan National Forest, where jagged peaks like Mount Eolus and Windom Peak rise above glaciated basins. The 1970s terrain reveals a legacy of water management and resource extraction, notably the City Reservoir (Durango Res No 1) and the Pittsburg Mine located along Missouri Gulch. The presence of the Logtown (Site) near Lake Marie points to a vanished era of mountain activity, likely associated with the timber or mining industries that once thrived in these elevations.

Transportation is defined by specialized routes such as the Needle Creek Trail and the Vallecito Pack Trail, which navigate between the Vallecito Basin and Silver Mesa. These trails and passes, including Columbine Pass and Trimble Pass, illustrate the challenging movement across the San Juan range. The map also identifies several United States Location Monuments, such as Uslm 20132, which served as critical survey points for mineral claims in this complex alpine environment.