2011 Map of Horse Range Mesa

About this map

Horse Range Mesa and its surrounding canyons define a landscape heavily shaped by uranium and vanadium mining history in San Miguel County. The Dolores River cuts through the eastern portion of the map, passing beneath the Slick Rock Bridge near the small settlement of Slick Rock. This region is dense with named mining claims, showing an intensive pattern of resource extraction from Steamboat Hill down into the deep recesses of Cougar Canyon and Burro Canyon. Higher elevations to the west include Summit Point and the prominent Island Mesa. The concentration of small, individual mine sites like the Grubstake Mine, Katydid Mine, and Prospectors Fortune Mine reflects a legacy of prospectors and smaller operations that sought fortune in the Colorado Plateau's mineral-rich strata. Road networks like RD d1 and S 8 RD connect these remote sites across the mesas and draws.