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1954 Map of Iris NW

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Iris NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Gold Basin Creek and South Beaver Creek carve through this high-altitude landscape along the border of Gunnison and Saguache counties. Surveyed in the mid-1950s, the map reveals a remote terrain defined more by its natural drainage and surveyor lines than by human settlement. The New Mexico Principal Meridian bisects the eastern portion of the sheet, serving as a critical baseline for Western land division.

While the region appears largely uninhabited, a network of rugged transportation is visible through numerous labels for Jeep Trail, indicating the seasonal access required for ranching or prospecting. A notable human feature is the Landing Field (Emergency) located in the southeast near Long Gulch, providing a vital safety point for aviators crossing this portion of the Rockies. Though several mining features are noted by the Geological Survey, they are explicitly identified in the margin as inactive by 1954, suggesting a post-boom era of quietude for the surrounding gulches.