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1960 Map of Fairplay West

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Fairplay West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Mining history and high-altitude water management dominate this 1960s study of the western slopes near Fairplay. The landscape is heavily marked by industrial activity, showing extensive tailings along the Middle Fork South Platte River and an intricate network of irrigation and hydraulic mining infrastructure, including the Fairplay Mining Ditch and the Warm Springs Ditch. The presence of several formerly active locations, such as Sacramento (Site) and Horseshoe (Site), points to the transience of settlement in this mountain environment.

Evidence of the region's transportation evolution is preserved through the Colorado and Southern Railroad Grade, which skirts the river valley. Higher in the Pike National Forest, specialized terrain features like Browns Pass and Break Neck Pass are connected by a network of pack trails and jeep trails, tracing the routes used by prospectors and timber workers. Isolated operations like the Bardo Mine and various prospects remain recorded across the slopes of Sheep Mountain.