1994 Map of Independence Pass

About this map

Independence Pass serves as the high-altitude centerpiece of this mid-1990s survey, straddling the Continental Divide between the headwaters of the Roaring Fork River and the Arkansas River basin. The landscape is defined by its deep mining heritage and complex water management systems, notably the Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal Co Tunnel No 1 and the Grizzly Reservoir. While the terrain is dominated by protected areas like the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness, the map preserves the locations of early high-country settlements such as Independence, Brumley, and Everett. Geologists and historians can trace the distribution of numerous Mines and Prospects, including the Ruby Mine, which speak to the area's extraction history before its transition to a primarily recreational and wilderness-protected corridor.