2013 Map of Fairplay West

About this map

Fairplay serves as the gateway to this high-altitude landscape in the Pike National Forest, where the transition from alpine peaks to valley floor is marked by an intricate network of early industrial infrastructure. The presence of the Duguesne Smelter and the Abandon Rail Rd northwest of town highlights the area's legacy of ore processing and transport. Water management is a central theme of this terrain, evidenced by the extensive system of ditches like the Fairplay Mining Ditch, Westerman Ditch, and Pearl Upper Ditch, which redirected flows from the Middle Fork South Platte River and its tributaries. Further south, the landscape shifts toward the thermal features of Rhodes Warm Springs and the small settlement of Mullenville, while the high ridgelines of the Mosquito Range and peaks like Sheep Mountain dominate the western horizon.