1994 Map of Cumberland Pass

About this map

High-altitude mining and railroad operations define this section of the Continental Divide during the mid-1990s. The landscape is a complex network of industrial heritage, featuring the Old Alpine Tunnel and Alpine Station at the head of Tunnel Gulch. These sites represent the high-elevation engineering of the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad, which navigated The Palisades to cross the divide. The legacy of the silver and gold era is visible in the numerous workings around Tincup Gulch and Slaughterhouse Gulch, including the Gold Cup Mine and Bon Ton Mine. This area near the Gunnison and Chaffee County line preserves evidence of early settlement patterns, with both the Tincup Cemetery and the more evocative Boothill Cemetery situated near the headwaters of East Willow Creek. The map shows how these remote mining districts were accessed via steep routes like Cumberland Pass and Napoleon Pass.