1963 Map of Deer Peak

About this map

San Isabel National Forest dominates this high-altitude landscape of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, where the drainage divide between Hardscrabble Creek and Williams Creek shapes the geography. The map captures a mid-century wilderness where high-country parks like Junkins Park and Antelope Park provided open ground amidst dense timber and steep drainages such as Deadman Gulch and Treasure Gulch. Evidence of human activity is sparse but specific, including a radio tower atop the 11,572-foot summit of Deer Peak and the remote Abbey Summer Camp to the east. The terrain is marked by family-named landmarks like Piltz Mtn and Wixson Mountain, alongside various Mines that point to the region's prospecting history. A network of primitive routes, including the Gardner Road and several Jeep Trails, provides the only access into these high valleys and canyons.