1954 Map of Hells Canyon

About this map

Yampa River corridors and high plateau country define this mid-century look at the northwestern Colorado interior. The map documents several early family sites and homesteads during a period of transition, including the Mantle Ranch and its associated Mantle Sch, as well as the Mantle Summer Camp and Mantle Cave near the river bend. Evidence of earlier settlement is noted by several locations marked as abandoned, such as the Red Rock Ranch, Fred Wall Place, and Caldwell Place. These sites are scattered across a landscape bounded by Dinosaur National Monument, where dramatic terrain features like Castle Rock, Katy's Nipple, and the Round Top Mountain summit overlook deep canyons like Hells Canyon and Sand Canyon. The presence of the Water Tank and Red Rock Reservoir indicates the critical importance of water management for these isolated ranching outposts.