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1963 Map of Elk Mountain

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Elk Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

Elk Mountain and the high ridges of Hamilton Mesa dominate this section of the Santa Fe National Forest as it was surveyed in the early 1960s. The landscape is defined by its complex drainage network, where the headwaters of the Mora River and Rio de la Casa carve through a series of alpine meadows and canyons. Named clearings like Mora Flats, Valle Largo, and Valle Medio offer evidence of the high-altitude grazing and transit patterns common to this part of the Sangre de Cristo range.

Several Mines are documented in the southeastern quadrant near Burro Canyon, hinting at the mineral prospecting that occurred alongside timber and livestock interests. Travel through this vertical terrain relied heavily on an established network of the Pack Trail, providing the only access to remote points like Lost Lake or the slopes of Spring Mountain. The map also captures the Indefinite Boundary between Mora and San Miguel counties, reflecting the challenges of precise surveying in such high-elevation backcountry.