Loading map...

1965 Map of Elk Park

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Elk Park
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Continental Divide winds through this high-altitude landscape in the mid-1960s, serving as the literal and figurative backbone of the region. The map captures a point where the Gunnison National Forest and Rio Grande National Forest meet, illustrating a territory defined by complex drainage systems and isolated meadows. Named parks such as Elk Park and Blue Park provide rare flat ground amidst the steep drainages of Cochetopa Creek and North Fk Saguache Cr.

The southern portion of the sheet is dominated by the La Garita Wilderness, including the prominent La Garita Mountain. For researchers, the map documents an era of backcountry access reliant on a network of Pack Trails and Jeep Trails, with few signs of permanent settlement beyond a lone Corral. The intricate hydrography, featuring headwaters like Stewart Creek and Nutras Creek, underscores the area's role as a vital watershed before modern development patterns altered the surrounding Colorado mountain reaches.