Loading map...

1960 Map of Independence Pass

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Independence Pass
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

The high alpine pass and the Continental Divide dominate this 1960 field-checked survey, capturing a landscape defined by mining remnants and sophisticated water diversion projects. Settlement is sparse, represented by small clusters at Independence, Brumley, and Everett, though the presence of the Ruby Mine and various Prospects near the Roaring Fork River point to the area's extraction history. These high-elevation outposts are connected by a network of pack and jeep trails through the White River National Forest and San Isabel National Forest.

Hydrological engineering is a central theme, evidenced by the Lincoln Gulch Connection Canal and the New York Collection Canal feeding into Grizzly Reservoir. The most ambitious infrastructure project shown is the Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal Co Tunnel No 1, which cuts through the divide to move water between basins. This map provides a clear record of how 20th-century water management and early mining paths reshaped the wilderness around Independence Pass.