Loading map...

1954 Map of La Sal

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of La Sal
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

The high peaks and deep canyons of the Manti-La Sal National Forest dominate this mid-century survey, spanning the rugged borderlands of San Juan and Grand counties in Utah and Montrose County, Colorado. The landscape is defined by the massive silhouettes of Mt Peale and Mt Mellenthin, which overlook a network of alpine springs and reservoirs like Buckeye Res and Blue Lake. The map reveals a post-war landscape of active mineral exploration, particularly evident in the dense cluster of claims near the Utah-Colorado line.

Prospectors and miners established numerous sites throughout this terrain, including the Vanadium Queen Mine, Firefly Mine, and Marjorie Ann Mine. While the settlement of La Sal provides a central reference point, the presence of the La Sal Guard Sta and Pine Lodge Ranch indicates the shared importance of forest management and ranching. From the depths of Dark Canyon to the unique geological depression of Sinbad Valley, the map records a period when resource extraction and public land administration were the primary drivers of human activity in this corner of the Colorado Plateau.