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1954 Map of Iris NW

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Iris NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The high-country drainages of Gunnison and Saguache Counties are documented here in the mid-1950s, revealing a landscape defined by its intricate system of creeks and gulches. The survey captures the remote character of the Colorado Rockies along the New Mexico Principal Meridian, where travel was often limited to a simple Jeep Trail winding through the terrain.

Major waterways such as Beaver Creek and Gold Basin Creek dominate the northern half of the sheet, while Pole Creek and Sugar Creek carve through the southern sections. A notable human landmark in this wilderness is the Landing Field, a small clearing providing essential air access to this isolated region. The map illustrates the early-postwar era before significant modern development, focusing on the natural geography and basic infrastructure like Stubbs Gulch and Long Gulch.