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2011 Map of Italian Creek

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Italian Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

American Flag Mountain and the surrounding high-altitude terrain of Gunnison County define this map of a legacy mining district. The landscape is densely marked with early extraction sites, concentrated heavily around the headwaters of Italian Creek. This concentration of claims, including the Colorado Mine, Independent Shaft Mine, and Bull Domingo Shaft Mine, reflects the intensity of late 19th and early 20th-century prospecting in the Colorado Rockies. The remote nature of these operations is underscored by their proximity to prominent peaks like Forest Hill and the winding course of the Taylor River.

Infrastructure in this area is primarily recreational and industrial, centered on the Dorchester Campground and an extensive network of forest roads like Co RD 759. The drainage patterns of Spring Creek, Tellurium Creek, and Mysterious Creek carve through the topography, leading toward high basins containing Lily Pond and Mysterious Lake. The map serves as a detailed guide to the complex geography of these old silver and gold prospects, from the Enterprise Mine in the north to the Thunderbird Mine in the southern reaches.