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2019 Map of Escalante Forks

Name: 2019 Topographic Map of Escalante Forks
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2019
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2019

About this map

Escalante Forks and the surrounding wilderness of the Uncompahgre National Forest define this high-country landscape. The topography is dominated by a complex network of mesas and drainage systems, where Steamboat Mesa and Long Mesa provide prominent high ground above deeply carved features like Gunnison Gulch and Palmer Gulch. This 2019 survey documents a landscape primarily defined by its natural hydrology and terrain names, with few human settlements beyond the basin areas.

Water sources are critical markers in this arid environment, ranging from the singular The Lake in the southwest corner to Steamboat Spring and Spring Basin. The drainage patterns of the N Fork Escalante Cr and Little Dominguez Cr dictate the orientation of the ridges, including the distinctively named Sowbelly Ridge and Tatum Ridge. Local history is preserved through the nomenclature of remote draws and gulches, such as Barklay Cabin Gulch and Wildhorse Draw.