Loading map...

2022 Map of Elwood Pass

Name: 2022 Topographic Map of Elwood Pass
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2022
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2022

About this map

The Continental Divide winds through this high-altitude landscape, defining the rugged boundary where the Rio Grande National Forest meets the San Juan National Forest. The map documents a network of critical alpine crossings, including Railroad Pass, Bonito Pass, and the eponymous Elwood Pass. These notches in the terrain historically served as vital conduits for movement across the divide, connecting isolated pockets of human activity like the Bonito settlement and Campo Molino.

Water plays a central role in the topography, with the headwaters of the E Fork San Juan River and the East Fork carved into the slopes. Prominent landforms such as Handkerchief Mesa and Long Trek Mtn rise above the drainage basins of Pass Cr and Elwood Cr. The inclusion of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trl and the Hot Creek Stock Dr Trl highlights the area's ongoing importance for transit and backcountry recreation within this protected mountain wilderness.