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1954 Map of Iris NW

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Iris NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

High-elevation drainages and remote mountain terrain define this 1954 topographic study of the borderlands between Gunnison Co Saguache Co. The landscape is dominated by the complex watershed of Gold Basin Creek and South Beaver Creek, where seasonal streams carve deep through the uplands. A notable human element in this largely unsettled area is the Landing Field (Emergency), a critical navigational point for aviators crossing the Colorado Rockies during the mid-century era.

Evidence of early accessibility is found in the network of Jeep Trails that crisscross the slopes, connecting remote gulches like Stubbs Gulch and Long Gulch. The map also captures a significant geographic marker, the New Mexico Principal Meridian, which serves as a foundational surveying line for the Western United States. The pattern of these trails and drainages, including Pole Creek and Sugar Creek, illustrates the navigational challenges of the high country before modern infrastructure reached this part of the Gunnison National Forest vicinity.