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1967 Map of Crestone

Name: 1967 Topographic Map of Crestone
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

Crestone sits at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Range, where the high desert floor meets the steep rise of the Rio Grande National Forest. The landscape is defined by the rigid Grant Boundary of the Luis Maria Baca No 4, a massive Mexican land grant that occupies the southern portion of the sheet. This boundary separates the open valley from the mountain front, where numerous Mines and Prospects suggest a legacy of mineral exploration in canyons like Copper Gulch and Cedar Spring Canyon.

Evidence of earlier transportation networks is visible in the Old R R Grade north of town, reflecting the era when rail lines serviced this remote mountain flank. Below the peaks, the drainage pattern is dense, with North Crestone Creek, Spanish Creek, and Cottonwood Creek carrying runoff toward the basin. Small local details such as Teton Cem and the Gaging Sta on Cottonwood Creek provide specific points of interest for genealogical and hydrological research.