1959 Map of Horn Peak

About this map

The San Isabel National Forest and Rio Grande National Forest meet along the high Sangre de Cristo divide, where the Custer Co Saguache Co line separates the dramatic peaks from the lower Valley. This 1959 survey shows a landscape defined by high-altitude drainage systems, with numerous creeks like Goodwin Creek, Venable Creek, and Cottonwood Creek flowing eastward toward Reiser Prairie. Small pockets of human activity are clustered near the forest edge, including Abbots Lodge, Horn Creek Ranch, and Tanglewood Acres. For those studying the recreational history of the era, the map meticulously tracks several major backcountry routes, most notably the long Rainbow Trail and the Venable Comanche Trail, which connect the high lakes and peaks like Horn Peak and Mount Adams to the lower homesteads and picnic grounds such as Alvarado Picnic Ground.