Loading map...

1978 Map of Icehouse Canyon

Name: 1978 Topographic Map of Icehouse Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

Clardy Ranch stands as a lonely outpost in this 1970s landscape, illustrating the remote ranching life of southern Colorado. The terrain is deeply incised by a network of drainage systems including Icehouse Canyon, Tafoya Canyon, and Piñon Canyon, where water sources were critical for survival. Evidence of these vital points is found at Gatlin Waterhole and Twentymile Waterhole, alongside numerous unnamed springs and the January Spring.

Navigability in this portion of Las Animas County relied on a complex web of unimproved paths, such as the Maverick Trail, West Trail, and various jeep trails that follow the canyon floors and ridgelines. Markers of early residency and land use appear through small details like a Grave in the northwest, a Cem in the southeast, and a scattered Drill Hole or Well, indicating the search for resources in this dry environment.