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1963 Map of Hesperus

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Hesperus
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Mining and recreation define the high-altitude landscape of the La Plata Mountains in the mid-1960s. The settlement of Hesperus sits at the base of the mountains, flanked by the Hesperus Ski Center and the Hesperus Mine. Evidence of a heavy industrial past is seen in the Old Railroad Grade that winds through the canyon towards Mayday, where the Bay City Mine once operated.

Water management is central to the area's development, with the Cherry Creek Ditch and the Hay Gulch Irrigation Ditch drawing from the La Plata River and its tributaries. To the north, the San Juan National Forest encompasses high peaks like Parrott Peak and Baldy Peak. For genealogists, the Hesperus Cem and family-named mines like the Wright No 1 Mine and Burnwell No 1 Mine offer specific points of historical interest in the La Plata County backcountry.